Iron is one of the most essential nutrients that we need daily. We need to take 13-20 mg of Iron daily with food. Pregnant mothers need to increase this value to 27 mg.
As most of us may have already heard, there is an inextricable link between hemoglobin and Iron. Where there is Iron, there is often red. If the soil is red, it means it is Iron-rich. Therefore, Iron is also the reason why red blood cells are red.
Iron deficiency has become a major problem for people of all ages. There are a number of hemoglobin-related diseases, such as anemia and thalassemia. The cause of Iron deficiency points towards either genetic or external factors.
Functions of Iron
A key function that requires Iron is energy production. Iron is essential for burning glucose and producing energy called ATP. As a result, the body of a person suffering from Iron deficiency loses strength, causing them to feel extremely tired. This is what seems like strong drowsiness. Other symptoms include laziness, fatigue, shortness of breath, and muscle aches.
The brain uses about 75% of the Iron we eat to make red blood cells. About 15% is stored in the liver, muscles, and heart, and the rest is used for other functions. A small amount is excreted from the body per day. If you have weak bone marrow, red blood cell production is poor. This is why it is so important to keep the bone marrow healthy.
What foods contain Iron?
- Red meats and fish
- Red vegetables and fruits (beetroot / watermelon / pomegranate)
- Green leafy vegetables (manioc / spinach / broccoli)
Most meats are rich in Iron. Vegetables also contain Iron. However, Iron from vegetables is not as readily absorbed by the body as Iron in meat. As a result, vegetarians may tend to have low hemoglobin. They usually consume Iron supplements to prevent Iron deficiency. However, these supplements NEED to be NATURAL.
Bacterial growth & Iron-deficiency
Iron is an essential mineral for the growth of bacteria. Knowing this, our body quickly stops supplying Iron if a bacterium enters our body. This means lesser Iron is available for bacteria to steal off of our cells and thrive. This is why when a person develops a fever due to an infection, he becomes extremely sleepy.
This state lasts until the immune system successfully removes the bacterium from our system. Therefore, keep in mind that if a blood test that you did during an infection indicates that you have poor Iron levels or low hemoglobin, that may not be accurate. Get a blood test when you are healthy and without infection in order to obtain a report of the true levels of Iron in your body on a normal day.
Gastritis is a disease that affects many people. Gastritis can be caused by a bacterium called H.Pylori. Similar to the above-mentioned mechanism, Iron supply drops in the presence of H.Pylori. Therefore, in order to fight Iron-deficiency conditions rooted in gastritis, we first need to clean the gut of these parasitic bacteria and allow the body to restore Iron levels. A Bio-resonance test can detect bacterial presence in all parts of the body, including those that are low in Iron. You may read more about this test here.
What disrupts Iron absorption?
Gluten
Gluten is the main cause of reduced absorption of not only Iron but all nutrients. Meals made of wheat and flour adds large amounts of gluten to our diet. So, the first thing we need to do is to start preparing meals without bread or flour. You should avoid the following foods:
- Flour
- Deep frying food
- Margarine
- Barbecue
- Meat containing nitrates
- Artificial meats
- Carbonated beverages
Interference by other substances
If you are Iron-deficient and intend to eat meat that is rich in Iron, you should consume this meat separately from the rest of your normal diet. When combined with other foods, Iron absorption is reduced especially when the following nutrients and foods are present.
Phytate
Phytate is a protein found in grains and nuts. This protein prevents the absorption of certain minerals in the diet including Iron. Many of the foods we eat daily contain these phytates. Therefore, eating meat with grains and nuts is not recommended for patients with Iron-deficiency anemia.
Calcium
Iron-rich foods should not be taken with calcium-rich foods. This is because calcium interferes with the absorption of Iron.
Listed below are a few more food items to not combine with Iron-rich food in order to avoid interference with Iron-absorption.
- Chocolate
- Red wine
- Vegetables
- Green Tea
- Black tea
- Milk
- Eggs
If you have the above items included in your diet, consume them 2 hours before or after the consumption of Iron-rich foods.
What enhances Iron absorption?
There is a vitamin that accelerates the absorption of Iron. That is vitamin C. Therefore, it is advisable to eat meat with lemon or lime containing vitamin C.
Lime or lemon should be added just before consuming Iron-rich meats. Adding it while the food is still on the stove reduces the efficacy of vitamin C due to overheating.
Importance of liver health in Iron absorption
Our body must have some mechanism to keep the hemoglobin level constant. So, any form of hemoglobin deficiency should be due to a fault in this mechanism. Our body uses this mechanism to temporarily control hemoglobin levels by taking Iron stored in the muscles.
Hepcidin, a hormone produced by the liver, controls this mechanism. If our liver is weak, the production of hepcidin is also impaired. Therefore, it is crucial to keep a healthy liver in order to allow the body to keep hemoglobin levels constant.
The liver can be weakened due to the consumption of pain killers and alcohol. If the liver is not taken care of, you may suffer from Iron deficiency as well as other conditions such as fatty liver. Similarly, people suffering from fatty liver may face problems in balancing their hemoglobin levels due to the ill-functioning of the liver.
Nutrition in fighting Iron deficiency
Western medicine acknowledges that genes may be involved in reducing the production of hemoglobin. According to Western medicine, this condition is caused by a gene called c282y. The gene is also linked to a condition called cystic fibrosis. However, a US study has found that supplementing with the mineral- Selenium can help fight cystic fibrosis. If so, selenium may also provide some relief to people suffering from Iron deficiency or low hemoglobin. Copper also plays a role in Iron metabolism. Therefore, adding copper and selenium to the diet in a natural way can get help you get rid of Iron-deficiency.
My experience is that by taking the 90 essential nutrients we need to give our body daily through natural supplements over a period of four months, it is possible to get rid of not only Iron deficiency, but other disease conditions that interfere with our health. After using these natural supplements to fix the issue at hand, it will naturally become easier to change our diets to include more pure foods filled with essential nutrition.
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