Iron

Iron is considered a micronutrient, and it is necessary for all living organisms to function properly. If there is an iron deficiency within the body, anemia will result, which can create many medical difficulties. If a person experiences the iron deficiency anemia, iron intake will need to be increased, either through iron rich foods, iron supplements or both. When anemia is present, it is often necessary to also increase the intake of some vitamins along with iron, because some vitamins will interfere with iron regulation and make it worse. Some properties that will cause low iron levels to become even lower include soy protein and polyphenols.

There are many foods rich in iron content, and a list of iron rich foods is available through many health websites and nutritionists. Some foods high in iron include meats and plants, and dairy products. Natural iron can be found in beef, shrimp, tuna, raisins, and more. Other high iron foods include ones that do not naturally contain iron, but they have been fortified with iron. Such foods include iron in water, iron in cereal and a variety of other iron rich foods that are unnaturally high in iron.

Iron offers many benefits, including the treatment of restless leg syndrome. It is also shown to help prevent low birth weight and other difficulties related to childbirth. An iron deficiency has even been associated with lead poisoning in children, so an increased iron intake is thought to reduce the chances of lead poisoning. For those with an iron deficiency, there are iron supplements available, but since iron is so prevalent in so many types of foods, the daily needs are often met through diet alone. This means that one should not take a dietary iron supplement unless there is certainly an iron deficiency present.

Iron toxicity has high levels, but they can easily be reached. In fact, iron overdose is the leading cause of poisoning deaths in children under the age of 6. There are precise symptoms of acute iron poisoning, and they occur in specific stages. Nausea and vomiting are typically part of the first stage, which occurs within six hours of the poisoning, then the symptoms may go away for a day or so (if it isn’t fatal in the first stage), in the next stage if the symptoms reappear they will include failure of the kidneys, liver and heart, and the last stage will consist of long term damage to the body.