Do you what iron content in the body is ? Yes, we have iron content in our body which is present in our blood. Iron helps in producing energy to our body. Iron is a mineral which is very much essential for our body. Top 10 iron rich food. iron rich food.
Iron is a essential nutrient. It is a trace element present in our body to the extent of 3- 5 gms. Most of it is found in the blood , about 75%. All the cells and tissues especially the muscle tissue contain a little iron , about 5% and the rest of the iron ,i.e about 2% is stored in body organs like liver, bone marrow and spleen.
What are function of iron in our body:
- Oxygen transport
- Promotion of oxidation with in the cells
- Maintenance of specific brain function
- Aid in metabolism
- Protective function
What are the 10 iron rich food sources :
Your body cannot produce iron; it can only store it. Iron can only be obtained by consumption, or eating. There are 2 types of food in iron
- Haem iron – This is easily absorbed by the body
- Non haem iron- This is difficult for the body to absorb
Haem iron are found in:
- Meat like beef, pork , kangaroo and lamb.
- Poultry food like egg, chicken and turkey
- Seafood- salmon, sardines And tuna
- Organ meats like Liver, kidney and pate
Non haem iron are found in:
- Most common non haem food are found in plant based sources.
- Plant based food can give you non haem iron too. If you follow plant based diet, you will need to eat about 80% more iron to meet your dietary requirements.
The good source of plant based food are:
- Cereal
- Nuts and seeds
- Dry fruits
- Whole meal like bread and pasta
- Legumes such as mixed beans, baked beans, chickpeas , lentils.
- Green leaf vegetables like spinach, broccoli and silver beet, tofu.
Other than specification the rich iron contenting food are as follows:
- Legumes
- Dry fruits
- Whole grain cereals
- Green leaf vegetables
- Jaggery
- Soya bean
- Rice flakes
- Hand pounded cereal
- Pulse
- Meat
Deficiency of iron:
One nutrient that is obtained through food is iron. Your body needs it for a variety of purposes, the most crucial of which is preventing anemia. Your red blood cells include a chemical called hemoglobin, which is made possible by iron. Oxygen is carried throughout your body by hemoglobin.
Your recommended dietary intake (RDI) of iron depends on your age and sex.
There are certain amount of iron that individuals should have in there body and it clearly depends upon there age and it varies from a children to adults in adults women and men separate.
These are the amount of iron should a children’s have in there body regardless of there gender and sex. And this particular amount of iron has to be taking in a daily consumption of food which means when we are making our diet plan we should have a this particular amount of iron in the diet.
- 11mg/ day at 7months to 12 month old
- 9mg/day at 1year to 3 years old
- 10mg/day at 4 years to 8 years old
- 8mg/day at 9 years to 13 years old
- Your baby’s iron stores, which build up while you’re pregnant, become low by 6 months. Iron-enriched cereals are a good first food to introduce by 6 months.
When it comes to Teenagers aged 14 to 18 years should have this much iron content in there daily dietary plan. And it varies from men to women,they should consume this much amount of iron
- 11mg/day for males
- 15mg/day for females
For Adults aged 19 to 50 years should start to consume particular amount of iron which varies from the children and teenagers and it is different for men and women again, the amount of iron adults should have is :
- 8mg/day for males
- 18mg/day for females
- Adults aged over 50 years should have 8mg of iron a day.
When it comes to Pregnant women they should have an iron intake of 27mg/day. If you’re breastfeeding, you should have:
- 10mg/day if you are aged 14 years to 18 years
- 9mg/day if you are aged 19 years and over
- People who have periods need more iron to replace the amount lost in blood during menstruation.
Anemia is found commonly in infant, pre school children, adolescent girls and pregnant women in the reproductive age 14 – 46 years of age.
Anemia is the condition where Hemoglobin level in the body fall down below the normal levels.
Hemoglobin is the pigments present in the blood which gives red colour to the blood and is important for carrying oxygen to the different body tissue in the body
Low intake of iron in the diet affects the production of hemoglobin in the body.
Folic acid and vitamin B -12 also play a role in blood formation. Deficiency of this vitamin can lead to anemia.
Symptoms of anemia:
When the person is affected by the anemia there are particular symptoms are seen or have to be observed to get rid of anemia or to control the anemia from getting it worse and the symptoms of anemia are as follows:
- Fatigue, giddiness, breathlessness in excretion, sleeplessness , palpitations and loss of appetite.
- Paleness of the tongue, conjunctiva and nail beds.
- Patients may feel prickly sensation on the fingers and toes, chest pain due to reduced oxygen supply to the heart muscles.
- In the severe anemia the nails of the fingers and toes become brittle and spoon shaped.
- Severe anemia leads to death ( particularly during pregnancy and delivery time)
- Infection of uterus , kidney and urinary tract are more common in anemic people.
Causes for anemia
- Dietary inadequacy: If we don’t practice proper dietary means when we are having there is a saying that our plate should be colourful which means our dietary plate should contain all the vitamins, minerals and protein in a proper quantity according to the body need.
- Losses of iron : Especially for women and girls they face this problem there are different reasons but one of the common reason is due to there regular periods, when they get there periods there is a loss of blood which needs recovery if it doesn’t happen then there will be a chances of getting anemia or iron deficiency.
Iron content is very much essential for an individual which plays a So many vital functions in our body which is very much essential for a proper functioning of the body. If a individual is suffering from the iron deficiency then the has to start including the food supplements which contains high amount of iron in them , because iron can be getting through supplement.
We don’t get iron by itself iron will not be produced in our body. Iron maintenance is very much essential for the girls and women’s especially during there pregnancy and delivery time. They have consume more of iron supplements. Because of there regular periods they loose there blood to recharge the loss of blood in take of iron is very much essential.
