Iron is an important mineral nutrient for your body because it plays a vital role in the transportation of oxygen through your body. The majority or about 65 to 75 percent of iron in your body will be in the form of hemoglobin, a protein which is part of your red blood cells. Your body also maintains a small reserve of iron in your live and bone marrow.
The body is not capable of producing iron. Instead, it sources its iron needs from food. There are two types of iron derived from food, non heme iron and heme iron. None heme iron is found in plant-based foods, such as vegetables, seeds, fruits and grains, among others. Heme iron is present in meat, poultry, fish and other animal products.
When your diet is low on iron you eventually start using your body's iron reserves and once you have run out of reserves you will not have enough hemoglobin to transport sufficient oxygen to all the parts of your body. This is referred to iron deficiency anemia and it is the most common nutrient deficiency in the United States. The World Health Organization has also indicated that it is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies worldwide.
The most common low iron symptoms are irritability, short attention span, a constant feeling of fatigue and weakness resulting to fainting or decreased performance at work or school. The body is more susceptible to infection, the tongue swells, and the person is always feeling cold. Infants and young children unfortunately show delayed cognitive development.
These symptoms are very generic and quite vague and as a result they can often been misjudged symptoms of stress or even as laziness. It wouldn't be the first time that a teenager with iron deficiency anemia has first simply been labeled as lazy by his/her parents!
Groups most at risk of developing iron deficiency include children, teenagers, senior citizens, pregnant women, women of child-bearing age and athletes.
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