Health Benefits Of Iron

Benefits Of Iron Supplements

Women of child bearing age nearly always have low stores of iron. In men, if their iron stores are low, even a small amount of blood loss can cause serious problems.

In this article we will have a look at some of the health benefits associated with iron.

What Does Iron Do?

Iron is one of the most important nutrients you can have, because without it, the body cannot produce haemoglobin and so would be unable to transport oxygen to all your cells.

As well as iron in the blood, iron is also stored in the liver and in other organs to compensate for variations in iron intake from your diet. If however these supplies run out, you will become anaemic.

How Much Iron Do You Need?

The RDA for iron for men is 8.7mg and 14.8mg for pre-menopausal women.

Where Do You Get Iron?

Although there can be lots of iron in foods such as wholegrain cereals, peas and beans, the presence of phytates in these foods means that the iron is poorly absorbed by the body.

As a result it is best to get iron from animal sources (meat, fish). If vitamin C is consumed at the same time, the absorption of iron will be enhanced.

Who Needs Iron Supplements?

Women need more iron than men to compensate for the monthly loss of blood that occurs during a period. However vegans, vegetarians and heavy tea drinkers may also benefit from iron supplements.