Why iron is an important part of your diet

Iron is considered to be one of the most important nutrients in the body.
According to Dr Alex Mokori, a dietician at UNICEF, about 70 per cent of the body’s iron is stored in the red blood cells (haemoglobin). As a component of hemoglobin, iron helps with the transportation of oxygen and carbon dioxide to and from body cells.
“Iron is needed to make hemoglobin. This protein in red blood cells enables them to carry oxygen around the body. If your body does not have enough hemoglobin, your tissues and muscles will not get enough oxygen and be able to work effectively,” he says.
It is also a component of enzymes and is vital for the production of energy and overall cell function in the body since it fuels metabolism. Iron is also involved in the synthesis of collagen and some neurotransmitters.
Collagen is the major component of connective tissues that make up several body parts, including tendons, ligaments, skin and muscles. It is responsible for providing your skin with structure and strengthening your bones.
“Iron, says Dr Mokori, is also a good immune booster because it helps in the maturation of the immune cells such as lymphocytes associated with the generation of a specific response to infection. Iron is most commonly used for preventing and treating anemia caused by low iron levels.”

Risk of deficiency
Children need a lot of iron while growing up because they are at a high risk of becoming deficient.
Iron is essential in the formation of red blood cells in the body. When a woman is pregnant, the embryo needs it to form for the placenta tissues and for the building its bones. The two, therefore, have to compete for the iron which increases the chance of mothers becoming anaemic.
Women in the reproductive age are more prone to suffering from iron deficiency than men, because they lose a lot of iron during menstruation.
Since most iron rich foods are contained in animal based foods, vegetarians may suffer a deficiency because the plant based sources may not be sufficient in providing iron.

Symptoms
Dr Denis Katanku Musoga, a dietician at the Uganda Heart Institute, says if your diet is low in iron, a deficiency in iron will occur. The commonest iron deficiency is anemia but one can be deficient in iron even if they do not have anemia.
When the hemoglobin concentration in our red blood cells falls below the normal range, a person is classified as having anemia. Also, one can become anaemic from loss of too much blood or when there is destruction of the red blood cells.
People are anaemic develop symptoms such as pale skin, nausea, fatigue, lethargy and loss of appetite indicate an iron deficiency. Some people become sensitive to cold, obese and learning disorders in children.
Calcium and some other minerals like zinc compete with iron for absorption. Therefore avoid foods that have a combination of both minerals if you are after optimizing your iron intake.
“Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron.

A combination of foods containing the two can be eaten to optimize absorption of iron. Other nutrients such as vitamin E, vitamin A, vitamin B12 and folic acid can be combined with iron,” Katanku notes.
Pumpkin seeds are a great source of iron. They contain 11.2 mg of iron per 100g. Soya beans, dried beans, fish, red meat, prunes and dates, parsley, oats and spinach are all good sources of iron.