Iron
IRON is an essential element for human nutrition. Knowledge of the ore has existed since prehistoric times, marking the beginning of the Iron Age. The Greeks used it to alleviate certain disorders. By 17th century England, iron was used as a specific treatment for anemia in man.
Today, iron deficiency anemia still affects more than 25% of the population mainly because of the ever-increasing consumption of processing foods and the decreased use of cast-iron cookware. Studies have shown that using cast iron cookware can increase iron absorption up to six times, especially when acidic foods are cooked in them.
Iron is known best as the main constituent of hemoglobin, and, through it, assists in transporting oxygen from the lungs to cells throughout the body, where it helps store oxygen for future use. In the liver and muscle tissue, it is stored as ferritin and hemosiderin. Iron promotes resistance to disease, aids in growth, and is necessary for the metabolism of B vitamins. Hemoglobin accounts for most of a child's iron and is recycled and reused as blood cells are being replaced about every 120 days.
There are two kinds of iron used for human health -- ferrous (II) and ferric (III). Ferrous is "free" iron, generating destructive oxygen radicals; but its harmful effects are rare because most dietary iron is bound tightly in biological structures. Ferrous fumarate is the anhydrous salt formed by combining ferrous iron with fumaric acid and used as a hematinic (a preparation used to improve the quality of the blood). Ferrous gluconate is also used as a hematinic, but it is less irritating to the GI tract and used if ferrous sulfate cannot be tolerated. Ferrous sulphate is the most widely used form to treat iron deficiency anemia, but it is an inorganic form and can destroy Vitamin E. Organic iron compounds (ferrous gluconate, ferrous fumerate, ferrous citrate, or ferrous peptonate) do not destroy Vitamin E. . Ferric forms include ferric chloride, used topically as an astringent and antiseptic and ferric fructose used as an iron-deficiency treatment.
Note: Ferrous gluconate can interfere with the acetaminophen screen test. Ferrous sulfate can interfere with Clinistix and Diastix ability to give correct sugar readings in the urine, but any effect on Testape, a similar product, has not been found.
Iron found in foods is sometimes referred to as "heme or non-heme". Heme and non-heme forms of iron are absorbed differently. About 40% of the iron present in meat is in the heme form found in the blood of animal flesh. The remainder of the iron in meat and all of the iron in plant foods and eggs are in the non-heme form of iron. People usually absorb only 15-35% of the heme iron from foods. However, absorption also depends on bodily needs as intestinal walls are highly selective as to how much iron they will allow to pass through. For example, when iron reserves are low, iron absorption from a meal may double.
The proportion of the non-heme iron absorbed varies from 2% to more than 20%, depending partly on other foods eaten at the same time. Other components of the diet can have a significant effect in either increasing or decreasing the absorption of non-heme iron. Foods rich in Vitamin C help increase absorption, while such foods as black tea or dairy products decrease iron absorption. Studies have shown that the amount of absorbed iron from fortified cereals or toast can be doubled or tripled when eaten with a large orange or orange juice. In another study, papaya accompanying a grain meal increased iron absorption up to six times. These studies have dispelled certain fads which indicate that fruits must be eaten separately from other foods. Understanding this can help in making the most of dietary iron intake since more than 85% of the iron in the Western diet and all of the iron in the vegan diet is in the non-heme form.
It is a small, but constant, dietary intake that is needed in order to replenish erythrocytes that are destroyed through normal body processes. Studies have shown that, as with protein, more iron is not necessarily better. There are health risks in taking more than the body can handle. If in doubt, have a blood test done -- one that reflects the RBC status (hematocrit and hemoglobin) and one that indicates iron stores (ferritin, transferrin saturation, red cell protoporphyin).
Because of the tannin content, tea (both green and black), as well as coffee, prevent iron absorption because tannins combine with iron to form an insoluble compound. Milk and cheese have also shown to decrease iron availability by 50%, but dairy foods consumed two hours away from iron intake do not affect absorption nearly as much. Oxalates are acids found in rhubarb, swiss chard, chocolate, and spinach. They bind iron, thus preventing absorption. On the other hand, broccoli, kale, and oriental greens provide an abundance of available and useable iron.
Even a slight deficiency of iron, when there is no obvious symptoms of anemia, can cause muscle weakness. Since the heart is a muscle, symptoms of heart failure can develop. Supplemental iron has helped eliminate a condition known as Plummer-Vinson syndrome, in which a membrane grows across the top of the esophagus that prevents swallowing. People with this are at great risk for cancer of the esophagus or stomach.
Candida and herpes are more likely to strike people who have an iron deficiency; and children are more susceptible to asthma if iron stores are low. It appears that the immune system must depend on iron since many disorders have an iron defeciency in common, as well as low levels of other nutrients. Iron deficiencies stem, not necessarily from a lack of iron in the diet, but rather, from an overall poor diet. Usually, it is only necessary to take iron supplements for a six to twelve month period in order to replenish anemia-depleted stores. However, continuous supplementation may be in order in the event of chronic blood loss. On the other hand, toxicity is rare, but poisoning has been found in children whose mothers had taken too many iron pills during pregnancy.
RDA is 8-15 mg., with menstruating women requiring more than men. The average loss per day is about 1.5 mg. Those who require more are pregnant or lactating women, growing children, and endurance athletes.
Summary:
Names include: Fe, Fe+2, Fe++, Fe+3, Fe+++, element 26, and may appear on commercial labels as "ferric phosphate", "iron phosphate", "Ferric orthophosphate", "sodium ferric pyrophosphate", "ferric pyrophosphate", "iron pyrophosphate", "ferrous fumarate", "ferrous gluconate", and "electrolytic iron".
Deficiency symptoms include: anemia, increased menses, nosebleeds, headaches, decreased immunity, thinning hair, dry scaling lips, muscle weakness, fatigue, depression, dizziness, bodily weakness, difficulty swallowing, thin nails with edges turning upwards, intestinal diseases, continuous diarrhea, constipation, and overall itching.
Toxicity symptoms include: bronzed skin, dizziness, decreased weight, headaches, shortness of breath, fatigue, increased urination, internal inflammations.
Inhibitors include: caffeine, phosphoproteins in eggs, phytates, decreased blood volume, calcium phosphate, bran, polyphenols in tea, antacids containing carbonates and/or magnesium trisilicate, cholestyramine (an anticancer drug), neomycin (an antibiotic), and indomethacin (an anti-inflammatory).
Helpers include: Vitamins B6, B12, Bc, C, E, T, calcium, cobalt, copper, phosphorus, hydrochloric acid.
Note:
1)The drug chloramphenicol (Chloromycetin), an antibiotic, can increase the blood-iron content and total iron-binding capacity, which is not good for those with an iron overload.
2) Iron should not be given to anyone with sickle-cell anemia, hemochromatosis (a disorder of iron metabolism, also known as "the bronze disease"), or thalassaemia (a hereditary hemolytic anemia).
3) Enteric-coated and time-released iron preparations should be avoided as they release iron in the area of the small intestine with a lower rate of absorption. They may pass through the intestine too quickly to be absorbed at all.
