Here Are 5 Strong Reasons Why Our Body Needs Iron

Iron is one of the essential nutrients needed by our body to maintain health. Because iron is a mineral that can do many things in our bodies. From helping ensure that the body is not exposed to anemia, to maintain healthy body cells, nails, hair, and skin.

Iron is one of the natural minerals contained in food, additional in some food products, and is available in supplement form. Iron is also a major component of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells. Not only that, iron is also useful in the process of metabolism, growth and development for the normal function of the body's cells, and plays a role in the formation of hormones and connective tissue.

Here are some reasons why you are advised not to miss the iron as a nutrient that the body needs.

• Iron deficiency can cause anemia: The body needs red blood cells to get enough oxygen. Red blood cells are formed of hemoglobin that contains iron. Thus, it can be said, iron is an essential component as forming cells carrying oxygen to the body's cells. A shortage of red blood cells is called anemia deficiency (lack) of iron. When menstruation, women can suffer iron deficiency. Especially when the volume of blood that comes out quite a lot or long menstrual periods.
• Iron deficiency as a cause of fatigue: As already mentioned above, the iron is one important component in the formation of red blood cells. Without healthy red blood cells, the body will experience problems in getting oxygen. This can lead to fatigue and weakness.
• Iron for the health of the mother and the fetus: When pregnant, women will require adequate iron intake. Because, iron deficiency can endanger the health of the baby, such as infants born prematurely, the baby's weight at birth is low, infant susceptible to infection, and even death of the baby.
• Iron can help the learning process: Consuming enough iron can help a person in overcoming the disruption in learning. Because iron is considered to improve the process of learning, thinking, and a person's memory.
• Iron deficiency and hair loss: Iron deficiency can also cause hair loss. The easy way to fix this is to consume enough iron in your daily diet, such as eating oysters, shellfish, legumes, and spinach.

Not only that, iron is also needed by the body to produce energy from intake of nutritious, and influential in the conduction of electrical signals in the nervous system of the body. Not just in infants, adults with iron deficiency are also more susceptible to other diseases.

How to prevent iron deficiency

Listed below are some foods that you can consume in order to meet the needs of daily iron your body.

1. Liver: Do not think of beef liver or chicken liver contains no nutrients at all. Instead, these foods are included in the list of foods that contain iron is high enough. Not only iron, the liver also contains protein, vitamin A, vitamin C, and a variety of other minerals. But still, it is not recommended to consume in excessive amounts. Eating too much liver can also increase cholesterol and for pregnant women, vitamin A which can be harmful to the fetus conceived. So it is recommended that smart in the consumption of these foods.
2. Spinach: It turns out that spinach is not only rich in vitamins, fiber, and calcium. But, spinach also contains iron in high enough quantities. In one bowl of spinach there are at least more than 6 mg of iron. You can eat with boiled or sauteed to facilitate the body to absorb the nutrients in it.
3. Oysters: Oysters, squid, and scallops are seafood that can meet the needs iron to your body. One medium-size oysters can even give about 5 mg of iron. In addition to iron, oysters also contain some important nutrients such as vitamin B12 and zinc. If you do not like oysters, do not worry, you can replace it with tuna or salmon. Please take care for pregnant women who want to eat seafood.

In addition some types of foods that are rich in iron above, you can also get iron in other foods such as soybeans, pumpkin seeds, other nuts, legumes, sesame seeds, and cereals are enriched by iron (read at iron rich foods post).

Now you already know the importance of iron for your body, right? Begin to meet your daily iron needs by cultivating and eating some foods rich in iron. If you have a specific medical condition, consult with a nutritionist for more information.

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