Iron

Iron is best-known for being an active constituent in the formation of red blood cells and hemoglobin, the portion of the blood which transports oxygen to the cells. As a component of hemoglobin, iron is also required for carrying oxygen to the cells and is necessary for tissue respiration. Furthermore, iron is also present in enzymes which allow cellular respiration to occur.

Iron is necessary in order to burn eaten food on the cellular level and produce the biological energy needed to sustain life. Iron is also a component in the formation of carnitine, which oxidizes fatty acids. The integrity of connective tissue is maintained by collagen and elastin, both of which need iron for their construction. An important enzyme vital to the production of DNA requires iron. Even the immune system depends upon iron in order to effectively combat infection and oxidation damage.

The most common result iron shortage in the diet is iron deficiency anemia. It occurs most often in infants, adolescents and pregnant women. In fact, iron deficiency anemia is the most prevalent deficiency disease, affecting at least one billion people worldwide. A slight iron deficiency, even when there is no apparent anemia, can cause symptoms such as behavioral problems, fatigue, increased susceptibility to infection, and significant muscle weakness. Remembering that the heart is a muscle, insufficient iron can alter the heart’s functioning and lead to symptoms of heart failure. Athletic people, women more often than men, are candidates for developing trace iron deficiencies.

Iron’s influence on the immune system is associated with its role in white blood cell activity. Candida albicans and herpes are more prone to plague those with iron deficiencies. Though in most cases the body tries to eliminate toxins such as oxygen free radicals, certain white blood cells use iron to create these toxins and direct them, like weapons, against invading bacteria. The immune system also uses iron to increase the production of an enzyme which creates iodine to kill bacteria. This enzyme occurs in breast milk and is believed to be one method by which a nursing mother passes resistance to infection to her baby.

A fairly rare disorder caused by iron deficiency is Plummer-Vinson syndrome, a condition in which a membrane grows across the top of the esophagus and prevents swallowing. Individuals with Plummer-Vinson have an increased susceptibility to esophageal or stomach cancer. However, iron supplementation can eliminate the disorder and the risk of cancer.

A study published in the Journal of Chronic Disease documented that persons with rheumatoid arthritis were anemic, having much lower levels of iron in their blood than those who did not have the condition. Another study, published in the Scandinavian Journal of Rheumatology, echoed the benefits of iron supplementation for those afflicted with rheumatoid arthritis.

Dietary sources of iron include meat (especially organ meat such as liver), fish, poultry, and ground soybean hulls. Iron is found in two forms: ferric and ferrous. Free (ferrous) iron produces damaging oxygen radicals and is very toxic. Its destructive effects are usually uncommon, as most dietary iron in firmly bound in biological compositions.

Each Iron tablet provides:

Iron (ferrous gluconate) – 25mg
Vitamin C – 50mg
Calcium (di-calcium phosphate) – 64mg

In a base of:

Rose hips are the dried fruit of roses which contain many vitamins and minerals, but are especially high in vitamin C and bioflavonoids. Rose hips actually contain anywhere from 10-100 times more vitamin C than any other food. Vitamin C increases the intestinal absorption of iron.

Mullein is very rich in iron, and is a good source of vitamins A, B2, B12, niacin, pantothenic acid, and C, as well as the minerals calcium, magnesium, manganese, and silicon.

Chickweed contains high amounts of calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, silicon, and zinc, the electrolytes potassium and sodium, vitamin A, and protein. Chickweed also supplies ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamins B6, B12 and D, and copper.

Thyme contains B-complex vitamins, vitamins C and D, as well as a rich source of chromium, iron, and silicon. Thyme also contains fairly high amounts of cobalt, magnesium, manganese, and selenium.

Yellow dock is rich in ascorbic acid (vitamin C), vitamin A and iron, and is often used to improve iron levels in pregnant women and those suffering anemia. Yellow dock also supplies calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, and selenium.