Iron is one of the minerals most vital to human health. Humans have realized the importance of iron in maintaining good health and treating diseases from ancient times. Iron has several medicinal usages, but the most important is haemoglobin synthesis. Iron helps in the formation of haemoglobin and transporting oxygen to the body. This is why iron is such an essential mineral for the human body, and its shortage could be an invitation to several health issues.
This article discusses the benefits of iron in your daily diet, daily recommendations for men and women, and whether you need to supplement it.
Health Benefits of Iron
Helps in Preventing Anaemia
Anaemia, is one of the most common nutritional deficiencies globally. It can be prevented with iron. Anaemia is the result of reduced haemoglobin levels. Fatigue, dizziness, shortness of breath, faster heart rate, and a general feeling of sickness and weakness are signs of anaemia. Having your iron intake in place would help you to prevent anaemia altogether.
Boosts Haemoglobin
Iron's essential purpose is to form haemoglobin, a red blood cell protein that transports oxygen throughout the body. Haemoglobin improves the body's cognitive function, helps to fight several diseases by improving overall immunity and giving the body, better endurance.
Reduces Fatigue
When your iron levels get low, cells don't get the oxygen they need, leaving you feeling fatigued. Iron deficiency fatigue is more than just a normal level of sleepiness. Instead, it causes fatigue that interferes with a person's daily routine and activities may become exhausting and less enjoyable. People who have low iron levels suffer from fatigue that lasts several weeks or longer.
Boosts Immunity
Iron is essential in the development and maintenance of a healthy immune system. It aids in the production of haemoglobin, which is necessary for the delivery of oxygen to damaged cells, tissues, and organs and the body's ability to fight disease and infection. A low iron status can impair immune function and the healing process.
Daily Recommendation for Men and Women
Generally speaking, men's bodies require more essential vitamins and minerals than women's bodies do. This is not the case with iron. Instead, women need more iron than men because they lose iron during menstruation, pregnancy, and lactation.
The loss of blood that occurs during a woman's period depletes their iron reserves. As a result, menstruating women require approximately 18 mg of iron per day, which is more than double the recommended intake for men (8 mg).
Additionally, the mineral is necessary during pregnancy because it assists in forming the placenta and helps to support growth of the foetus.
Iron supplied to a newborn baby must be sufficient to last for six months after birth, which is why a woman's iron intake during pregnancy must increase to a whopping 27 mg per day.
Epicvita Maximult. For Active men and women.
Food Sources
Many foods contain high levels of iron. Therefore, you may find it easy to combine the suggestions below and make tasty, nutritious meals that will help you boost your daily iron intake.
Fruits and Vegetables - Broccoli, pepper, peas, apples, pomegranates, spinach, palm dates, and other leafy vegetables
Nuts and Seeds - Cashews, pistachios, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds
Meat and Seafood - chicken, beef, lamb, tuna, salmon, shrimp
Beans and pulses - Chickpeas, kidney beans, soybeans, black beans
Do You Need to Supplement Iron?
The easiest way to avoid any of the symptoms of low iron levels is to ensure you have enough of it in your diet. However, iron found in meat and seafood gets absorbed much better in the human body than the iron found in plant-based food. Still, having iron-rich plant-based foods and a source of Vitamin C helps absorb the iron in the body.
So, to sum it all up, you don't really need consume an iron supplement or iron tablet to your daily diet. Eating a variety of iron rich food items covers most of the iron needs and additionally a good quality multivitamin like Epicvita Maximult for men and Maximult for women which has iron ensures you never fall short of it.
Having a multivitamin in your stack helps you to achieve the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of all the essential vitamins and minerals needed by your body including iron.
The Bottom Line
Iron is an essential mineral in the human body and is a must for everyone. Women must be cautious of their deficiencies, considering they additional requirements. Therefore, make sure to include iron-rich foods in your daily diet and add a multivitamin like Maximult to hit the daily intake goal.
References
Review on iron and its importance for human health. (2014, February 1). PubMed Central (PMC). https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999603/
Iron. (2020, October 19). The Nutrition Source. https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/iron/
