Iron importance and health

IRON AND OUR HEALTH

We all are familiar with Essential vitamins and minerals but did you ever wonder how important role they play in making my body healthy, energetic and full of smile.Well one among these is Iron.In compliance with the World Health Organization norms which says that 80 percent of the present world's population is iron-deficient.So the question is  Are we getting enough of Iron?

Iron importance as a mineral and why ?

Iron as a mineral need by every single living cell in our body hence it is the most important nutrients of our body health.It maintain regular cell growth and proper muscles strength and effective immune system against diseases, but the most important role that it play in our body is that it act as a carrier of oxygen from lungs to every single part of our body as iron is the part of protein hemoglobin.Iron also a part of good numbers of enzymes.As enzymes act as a catalyst in various digestion process of food carried in the stomach of our body making our digestion more simple and rapid which in result give proper energy to the body.So if we don't have sufficient iron in our body many parts of our body get affected from it and we can't properly do our normal day today work in our life. 

How to diagnose signs and symptoms of an iron deficiency

Iron deficiencies occurs over time and are commonly  associated with low dietary intake or excessive blood loss from the body.But in typical cases, the deficiency can lead to anemia.

Signs and symptoms :

· Fatigue or weakness

· Glossitis ( an inflamed tongue )

· Difficulty in maintaining proper body temperature
· Hair loss
· Decreased concentration 

· Low work and school performance

· Decreased immune system
· Headaches
· Brittle, chipping nails

How much iron do we need for our body?

The Recommended Dietary Allowance( RDA ) for iron by gender and age group is as follows.

Infants ( ages 07-12 months ) 11 mg per day

Children (ages 1-10): 7 to 10 mg per day
Women (ages 19-50): 18 mg per day
Pregnant Women: 27 mg per day
Lactating Women: 9 to 10 mg per day
Men (ages 19 and older): 8 mg per day

Some good food sources include:

Oysters, 3 oz = 10.2 mg

Clams, canned, drained, 3 oz = 23.8 mg
Soybeans, cooked, 1/2 cup = 4.4 mg
Organ meats (liver, giblets, etc.), 3 oz = 5.2 to 9.9 mg
Spinach, cooked, 1/2 cup = 3.2 mg

Lentils, cooked, 1/2 cup = 3.3 mg

Find who is at risk of an iron deficiency?

There is no particular niche whom we can say will be at risk of iron deficiencies anyone among us can develop an iron shortage, but some people are more at risk who are they??? Babies : Those who have born early and  underweight babies.Children : Who have special health related needs for example children with chronic infections or restrictive diet or habits.Women and adolescent girls: From the period of menstruation to pregnancy, each women not only lose more iron than any other group, they also need more of it (especially when they are going through pregnancy).Vegetarians: As iron from meat is more readily-absorbed by our stomach than iron from plant sources, vegetarians people will have a tough time meeting the recommended daily dose of iron. Vegans need almost twice as much iron per day than non-vegetarians peoples ( mostly females).Digestive diseases:Individuals suffering from celiac disease, Irritable bowel or Crohn's syndrome are at a higher risk because they may not be able to absorb much of the nutrient form the food they are eating.Well Iron deficiency and anemia are generally uncommon in men and post-menopausal women because they lose very little blood.

Tips to prevent it and get more iron in your diet

We all need a healthy life and do follow balanced diet chat but some time ignore little things which really counts in this categories if you can eat meat then have it as it is a good source of iron. If you are a vegetarian then try these given option, so that you body can absorb as much iron as it requires.1. Add sufficient vitamin C to your every single meal. As per the new studies it has been cleared that vitamin C can boost up iron intake by 50 percent in human beings.2.Get a good iron-fortified foods. Many companies in the processed food industries now fortify cereals and breads with iron.3. Avoid coffee or tea as these are full of caffeine . Scientists proved it by research that drinking coffee may inhibit how your body absorbs the nutrient from the food you eat.4.Make sure Iron and calcium don't mix. Nutrients like calcium can hinder your body's iron absorption power by half, so stay away from it while you're eating iron rich food.5.Use cast iron for cooking. Using iron pots or pans which will increase the amount of iron you get in your food almost 10-fold for every meal.