Benefits of Iron

One of the major benefits of iron is it increases energy. Some of the symptoms of iron deficiency are lethargy, fatigue, and paleness. It will also affect the ability to focus and to fight infections. Brittle hair and constant dizziness may also indicate a lack of iron in your blood. Low iron levels or anemia is also one of the causes of a neurological disorder called restless leg syndrome.

Dietary iron is an essential mineral. It is a major element of hemoglobin in the red blood cells. It transports oxygen in the blood to all the cells and all parts of the body. These cells produce energy and thus avoid fatigue and maintain body temperature.

The body stores whatever extra iron in the liver, bone marrow and spleen. When your body needs the iron and is not getting it from your diet, then it makes use of the stored iron. If this happens too often, the stored iron is depleted and this leads to iron deficiency.

Women may have to eat more foods high in iron or take iron supplements during menstruation. This is because of the loss of blood. Since teenage girls are going through growth spurt, they too require adequate amount of iron in their diets. People who donate blood frequently, have peptic ulcers or have had surgery are at high risk of iron deficiency. Overweight children are also twice as likely to be lacking in iron compared to normal weight children.

You can get the benefits of iron by ensuring that you get enough of it from animal foods, vegetables, fruits and nuts. Iron obtain from animals is called haem iron and is easily absorbed compared to non haem iron that is obtained from plant products.

Here's a list of iron rich foods:

1. 100g cooked oysters - 11.99 mg of iron
   
   
   
2. 100g soybean curd - 5.6 mg
   
   
   
3. 1 large hardboiled egg - 1. 1mg
   
   
   
4. 100g braised liver - 6.5mg
   
   
   
5. 100g sardines in tomato sauce - 2.3mg
   
   
   
6. 100g ready to eat wheat germ - 9mg
   
   
   
7. 100g almond nuts - 3.7mg
   
   
   
8. 100g roast beef - 1.7mg
   
   
   
9. 100g prunes - 3.5mg
   
   
   
10. 100g cooked tuna - 1.6mg
    
    
    
11. 100g fried clams - 2.6mg
    
    
    
12. 100g dry roasted cashew nuts without salt - 6mg

The data above is obtained from USDA National Nutrient Database.

Some other good food sources of iron are oats, raisins, whole grain bread, dates, pearled barley, baked beans, lentil soup and millet.

People who get adequate amount of this mineral from their diets will enjoy the benefits of iron and need not worry. But if you sense that you body is showing any of the iron deficiency symptoms, consult a doctor before you decide to take iron supplements. This is because if you wrongly self-diagnosed, it may lead to an excess of iron.

Excess iron can become toxic. It will also interfere with the body's ability to absorb minerals such as zinc and copper. It will build up in the tissues and organs including the heart and may cause heart disease and increases the risk of cancer.

Some of the possible iron supplements side effects, especially if taken on an empty stomach, are constipation, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended to take iron supplements with tea or coffee because tannin reduces the amount of iron absorbed in food.

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