1) Anemia caused by a lack of iron is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world.
2) Anemia is most common in developing countries where too little food, or not enough of the right foods, are being consumed to meet the human body’s need for iron.
3) Iron is stored in the body and too much of it can have toxic effects.
4) Tea and coffee consumed at meals reduce the absorption of iron.
5) During the first six months of life a baby’s need for iron is met by using iron that its body has already stored, along with breast milk or formula.
6) It is not necessary to increase iron intake during pregnancy because the body’s rate of absorption increases and menstruation is halted.
7) Poorly planned vegetarian or weight loss diets can result in insufficient intake of iron.
8) Vitamin C helps iron to be absorbed by our bodies.
9) In diets featuring meat and fish approximately 15% of the iron is absorbed.
10) Our bodies do a better job of absorbing iron from animal sources than from plant sources of iron.
When there is not enough iron available, your body cannot get enough oxygen to the cells. Your body, then, has to work harder to make up for the lack of iron, which can cause you to feel weak, tired, and short of breath.
Red blood cells are destroyed approximately every 120 days. Some of the iron from these can be used again, but much of the iron is lost, which means that a sufficient ongoing supply of iron is necessary for the newly forming red blood cells. Because iron is difficult to absorb, we need to take in about 10-15 mg a day to replace the 1-2 mg that is lost every day.
Although babies are born with some iron, it is not long before enough must be provided through their diets. A deficiency of iron between the ages of 6 months and 5 years can have a negative impact on a child’s intellectual development. In older children a lack of iron might show itself in problems concentrating, moodiness, and lethargy. In the population as a whole, teenage girls are the segment most likely to be getting less iron than they need.
A man between 19-50 years old only needs 8.7 mg of iron per day, in comparison to a woman in the same age range, where 14.8 mg is needed. Beyond the age of 50 men and women alike require 8.7 mg of iron per day. Good sources of iron include red meat, fish, eggs, beans, broccoli, whole grains, figs, and dried apricots.
Copyright © Dennis Becker, 2004.
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