The Handy-Dandy, Exhaustive Guide To Vitamins & Minerals; Complete From Vitamin A to Zinc [Part 2]

What is Iron (Fe)

Iron is primarily used to build hemoglobin and myoglobin; two proteins in red blood cells that store oxygen and deliver it to various tissues and muscles (respectively; myoglobin supplies O2 to muscles) throughout the body. 2/3 of the body’s entire iron supply is found in hemoglobin, while a smaller amount sits in the myoglobin.¹²

Other than important things like living and breathing, oxygen delivery is critical for endurance & athletic performance, efficient metabolism, sustainable energy levels, immunity, and cell growth.

We only absorb 10%-15% of ALL dietary iron, which is one of the major reasons why the World Health Organization (WHO) considers iron deficiency to be the #1 nutritional disorder worldwide, estimated at up to 80% of the population.³

Iron comes from food in two different forms: (1) heme, which is animal-based and the most easily absorbed form in the body (15%-35% is absorbed); and (2) nonheme, which is found in plants/cereal, but isn’t as easily absorbed (only 2%-20% is absorbed). For vegetarians especially, adding foods high in vitamin C can help boost nonheme iron’s rate of absorption.⁴

Because it’s a massive component of blood, women who menstruate need more than 2x as much iron as men & post-menopausal women.

• Best Sources of Iron — Think MEAT, CEREAL & GREEN VEGGIES. Beef, liver, oysters, clams, pork, turkey, spirulina, sesame seeds, beans, potatoes, asparagus, spinach, and cereal are all iron-heavy.⁵
• Recommended Daily Intake — Men = 8 mg/day; women = 18 mg/day.⁶
• Iron Deficiency — Iron deficiency anemia, poor immunity, attention issues, irritability, and fatigue.

Minerals: 

Calcium | Potassium | Iron | Zinc | Magnesium | Phosphorus | Sodium | The Rest

References, Notes, Links

1. ODS - Iron [↩]
2. Medline - Iron [↩]
3. ODS - Iron [↩]
4. ODS - Iron [↩]
5. NutritionData - Iron [↩]
6. ODS - Iron [↩]

• About
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Bryan DiSanto

Owner & Editor-in-Chief at Lean It UP

Bryan DiSanto is the Owner & Editor-in-Chief of Lean It UP, a culinary student at Le Cordon Bleu – Paris, an ACE-CPT & CSN, NYU graduate, ex-fat kid, and all-around fitness/nutrition nutjob.

He also contributes to Men's Health Magazine.

When he’s not working on his (or somebody else’s) abs, whipping up Eggocados, or running a Tough Mudder, he’s probably off yelling at a Carolina Panthers game somewhere.

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