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Nutrient of the week: IRON--what's with all the fuss about it?
Nutrient of the week: Iron
Iron is one of several trace minerals we need in order to have a healthy body. In fact, it is critical to life as it plays an important role within our red blood cells to carry oxygen from our lungs to various parts of our body & takes away carbon dioxide from the tissues and brings them back to the lungs. Iron is also used in conjunction with various enzymes in energy production, metabolism, and in making DNA.
The two types of iron: heme and nonheme.
Heme iron is iron bound to hemoglobin and myoglobin, and is found in red meat, chicken, pork, fish, etc. It is the most efficiently absorbed form of iron, but only 2 mg of heme iron can be absorbed at a time & excess iron does not accumulate.
Non-heme iron is further divided into two types: natural and synthetic. Natural non-heme iron is found in plants, but is poorly absorbed on its own. It is also synthetically produced by supplement manufacturers for iron-fortified foods, enriched flours, and of course, iron supplements, and can be readily absorbed. The body can absorb about 20 mg of non-heme iron at a time, thus increasing iron accumulation, which can lead to increased risk of heart disease and other health issues.
How much iron do you need? The RDA for iron is 10 mg for males and 15 mg for females. However there is an increased need for iron for those women who are menstruating or pregnant and also for the elderly. Why the elderly? As we get older, less acid is secreted by the stomach (hydrochloric acid in particular), which causes a decrease in iron absorption. If you have chronic diarrhea, had your stomach surgically removed (for weight loss or other reasons), or take antacids, iron absorption will also be decreased. If you take Prozac or neuroleptic drugs, your iron levels can become depleted.
Iron deficiency? Anemia is probably the condition that most people think of with regards to iron deficiency. However, excessive menstrual blood loss (ironic, isn't it, that a iron deficiency will cause women to lose more blood), impaired immune function, restless leg syndrome, decreased energy levels, and learning disabilities are also signs of iron deficiency.
So, does that mean that everyone should take iron supplements? NO!! Excess iron that accumulates within us can be toxic, too. Elevated levels of iron may lead to a risk of heart disease. Why? Free radicals in the blood and other iron-induced oxidative can cause damage to arterial walls, which can lead to heart disease. There’s also increased risk of infection, cancer, and other neurological diseases. Ask if you wish to have more info. ☺
So, what’s a good, health-conscious person to do? If you feel that you have low-iron issues, see your physician for testing first before you go out and buy iron supplements. If iron supplementation is for you, then those sold as “ferritin” capsules are made with heme-iron. Liver extract (a liquid) can also be consumed for those that need extra heme-iron in their diet, but it is NOT tastey!
However, most healthy individuals do NOT need iron supplementation in their daily regimen. Iron found in most supplements, including multivitamins, can cause some unwanted side effects such as nausea, flatulence, diarrhea OR constipation. Your best bet for getting all the iron your body needs is from food!! Another side note, certain minerals such as calcium, magnesium, and zinc, can interfere with iron absorption, so it doesn’t make sense to take a multivitamin with iron with these other minerals.
Food sources of iron: All red meat, pork, chicken, seafood, and other meat sources are great sources of heme-iron. Kelp has a whopping 100 mg of iron per 3.5 oz! WOW! Brewer’s yeast, wheat bran, seeds, nuts, spinach, and beans are good plant sources of non-heme iron. You can increase the amount of iron absorbed from plant sources by pairing it with a meat dish. Also, if you take vitamin C, it will enhance iron absorption. So you see, with a good combination of food sources, most individuals shouldn’t need to take iron supplements.
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