The Importance Of Iron In Our Diet

Iron men and iron women

Iron is a chemical element that is widely distributed on earth. It is also very important for the survival of all living organisms, from bacteria to the human being. However, even when iron is in very high quantities in the environment, living organisms can only process it when it is soluble. Most of the iron that is in the environment is in insoluble forms, which don’t make it suitable for intake. Because nature is so wise, living organisms, including humans, have developed mechanisms of iron absorption from food, in order to satisfy the needs of this important element.

Iron is mainly used in the synthesis of proteins that transport oxygen to all our organs.

Without iron, neither haemoglobin nor myoglobin can bound oxygen, leading to a lack of this vital gas in our body and organ failure due to hypoxia.

Catching iron from the environment

How does our body get the iron it needs? There is a very good mechanism of iron absorption in our gastric tract; nevertheless, from all the iron that we ingest, only 5 to 35% is absorbed usually, which is enough to fulfill our iron requirements.

Enterocytes are the cells that have the proper tools to capture iron.

Here, iron is caught by a transporter protein, known as transferrin, which transports iron to the bone marrow, the tissue where red blood cells are produced.

There is another mechanism that also transports iron from the intestine into the bloodstream. This mechanism is still unknown though, but it does not depend on the modification of iron by gastric acids.

Control of iron levels

The amount of iron present in our body is very well regulated at the level of its absorption. Hepcidin, a hormone produced by the liver, is the one in charge of sensing when iron levels are low or high. 

The role of hepcidin is very important and it can be affected in several diseases, including anemia and hemochromatosis.

See Also: Study: Iron Deficiency Anemia Increases The Risk Of Stroke

Finally, contrary to other minerals, iron is not excreted by our body. We can certainly loose iron through bleeding, but most of the iron that we ingest is stored in the organs already mentioned.

Getting Iron From The Food We Eat 

Iron is everywhere, but since it is not absorbed in high quantities, we have to make sure that our diet is rich in food that contains this important mineral. Children and women specially, need more iron than anyone else. Children's iron requirements are greater because they are in a stage of growth and development; women need more iron because they loose some of it during their menstrual periods, and if pregnant, they need iron for them and the baby. 

Natural sources of iron 

We can get iron from two nutritional sources; depending on the source, the iron that is obtained is classified in heme or non heme iron.

The one thing to take into account here is that, while heme iron absorption is hardly affected by dietary factors, non heme iron is a bit more difficult to absorb.  

On the other hand, phytates and polyphenols prevent iron from being absorbed. These two are chemical compounds found mainly in fruits, vegetables, cereals, tea, coffee and wine. Also, animal proteins present in milk and egg can affect iron absorption.

It is important then to make sure that if we want to change our diet to a vegetarian or vegan one, we consult this with a specialist in order to make sure we are getting the right amount of iron and other nutrients that our body needs day to day.

What happens when we don´t get enough iron?

Iron deficiency occurs when there is not enough iron in the storage organs to fulfill our daily requirements.

Also, there are certain health conditions that alter iron absorption at the level of the gastrointestinal tract, so even when we get enough iron from food, it is not absorbed.

See Also: Cold Hands And Feet: The Sign Of Iron Deficiency?

As a consequence of iron deficiency, hemoglobin cannot be produced and our red blood cells can no longer transport oxygen to our tissues, causing what is known as anemia.

Iron deficiency can be easily prevented. First of all, you have to make sure that your diet is varied; if you are following a certain lifestyle, such as vegetarianism or veganism, be aware that you may need supplements to compensate for the lack of iron in your diet. Also, avoiding foods that inhibit iron absorption, like coffee and tea, helps in maintaining your iron supplies in the normal range.