Iron is the most abundant mineral on Earth, the Sun, and the stars. Iron makes up most of the refined metals you might find in architecture, but it also sustains plant and animal life. Your body needs iron to help your body produce red blood cells and hormones. According to the National Institutes of Health, men between the ages of 19 and 50 need 8 mg of iron per day, and women in the same age group need 18 mg of iron per day. Adults over 50 years of age need 8 mg.
While many people already consume enough iron in their diets, women with heavy periods, pregnant women, infants, and blood donors need more iron to maintain their bodies. Some chronic diseases may also require a little more iron in the diet because people's bodies have problems getting stored iron.
Although eggs and some plant foods, such as spinach, beans, quinoa, and nuts, contain iron, this non-heme form of iron is not absorbed by the body like heme iron found in meat, poultry, and seafood.
However, chocolate can be a good one when it comes to iron plants**;An ounce of dark chocolate will give you almost 2 milligrams. For men over the age of 19 and women over the age of 50, this is about 25% of your daily needs.
Benefits of chocolate.
While dark chocolate provides iron, it also contains 50 mg of magnesium, 161 mg of potassium, and very little sodium. Chocolate also contains flavonols, which protect the body from inflammation and free radicals. The flavonols in chocolate strengthen cells and improve their insulin sensitivity. Your heart loves chocolate because it lowers blood pressure and blood clotting. Increased blood flow also means more blood for your brain health. Athletes may enjoy dark chocolate because it boosts nitric oxide production, which improves exercise endurance.
However, if you want the nutritional benefits of chocolate, you'll want to skip chocolate-flavored foods. Check the label to make sure the chocolate contains at least 70% cocoa. Chocolate still contains 10 grams of sugar and 11 grams of fat, so while it's okay to indulge, it shouldn't be the main iron **.
Adequate iron is essential, but too much is harmful.
You may not realize that your diet is low in iron because your body stores iron in areas such as your muscles and liver. You don't become iron deficient until your body's iron stores run out. This makes your red blood cells smaller and limits their ability to draw oxygen from your lungs. Iron deficiency can manifest symptoms such as weakness, fatigue, digestive problems, and difficulty concentrating. You may find yourself sick or have problems with thermoregulation.
Supplementing with iron may sound like a good idea, especially if you're at a stage of your life where you need more iron. However, ingesting high doses of iron can disrupt your digestive system, including causing inflammation of the stomach lining. If you consume a lot of iron, your body will also have problems absorbing zinc. Ingestion of hundreds or thousands of milligrams of iron can lead to coma or death.
Instead of taking supplements, a good way to make sure you're not consuming too much iron is through the foods you eat. 100 help plan