The human body needs iron in order to produce new red blood cells, which in turn carry oxygen around the body. It is probably the most important function in the body and can also be the most precarious with a fine balance between too much or too little iron each causing its own unique problems.
Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs in order to replenish tissue and then returns carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be dispensed.
People use 20 micrograms of iron each day in order to produce enough of the necessary new red cells, usually by renewing the old.
A lack of iron in the body could result in anemia resulting in the bone marrow failing to produce enough red blood cells and leaving humans with a feeling of utter tiredness and weakness.
However, an overload of iron will promote disease, such as hemochromatosis, which could leave people more susceptible to bacterial infections and iron can be extremely toxic if not kept in check.
A normal healthy diet will be enough for the body to produce enough iron but menstruating and older people may struggle to produce the required amount and so can become anemic.
Red meat and many other animal products supply the easiest way to absorb iron and the presence of Vitamin C helps in this process, while calcium can hinder the ability to absorb iron.
The body’s ability to absorb appears to respond to the body’s total iron stores, the extent to which bone marrow is producing new red blood cells, the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, and the oxygen content of the blood.
Loss of iron could be down to loss of blood or nutritional deficiency, but that does not necessarily mean following a vegan or vegetarian diet as previously thought.
Red blood cells transport oxygen from the lungs in order to replenish tissue and then returns carbon dioxide back to the lungs to be dispensed.
People use 20 micrograms of iron each day in order to produce enough of the necessary new red cells, usually by renewing the old.
A lack of iron in the body could result in anemia resulting in the bone marrow failing to produce enough red blood cells and leaving humans with a feeling of utter tiredness and weakness.
However, an overload of iron will promote disease, such as hemochromatosis, which could leave people more susceptible to bacterial infections and iron can be extremely toxic if not kept in check.
A normal healthy diet will be enough for the body to produce enough iron but menstruating and older people may struggle to produce the required amount and so can become anemic.
Red meat and many other animal products supply the easiest way to absorb iron and the presence of Vitamin C helps in this process, while calcium can hinder the ability to absorb iron.
The body’s ability to absorb appears to respond to the body’s total iron stores, the extent to which bone marrow is producing new red blood cells, the concentration of hemoglobin in the blood, and the oxygen content of the blood.
Loss of iron could be down to loss of blood or nutritional deficiency, but that does not necessarily mean following a vegan or vegetarian diet as previously thought.
