A particularly debated topic which is receiving a lot of attention today concerns the natural iron supplements. Women in particular are very sensitive to this issue, since some of them suffer from a condition known as anemia: this condition is characterized by main symptoms such as tiredness and weakness, which are due in most cases to a reduction in iron reserves in the blood.
What is the best iron supplement commercially available? In this article we will try to answer this question exhaustively, advising you during the purchase phase and clarifying some specific aspects.
What are iron supplements
The iron supplements These are products that are commonly used by nutritionists and health and nutrition professionals to treat anemia. Beyond the doctors and experts in the food sector, there are very few people who know the benefits and secrets of these very interesting food supplements.
The use of supplements of iron dates back to the year 1832, as the French doctor Pierre Blaud, decided for the first time to use these products. Since then, iron supplements have been used mainly as a treatment to counteract the most widespread nutritional deficiency on the planet, namelyiron deficiency anemia or iron deficiency anemia.
Iron, what is it
The iron It is a very common metal on our planet, representing 5 percent of the Earth's crust. From a nutritional point of view, iron is essential (taken in small quantities) for the functioning of our body: the cells of our organism strictly control theiron absorption, the regulation and metabolism.
Iron is an element that we could define as fundamental for some processes in human biology. The importance of this mineral is its ability to carry out certain chemical reactions, constituting the essential part of two proteins responsible for the circulation of oxygen and nutrients, such as myoglobin and hemoglobin.
Iron reserves in an adult person
In one adult person they are present iron reserves which vary between 1 and 3 grams respectively. However, it is worth pointing out that the action of cellular metabolism reduces a part of iron stored by the body on a daily basis.
Very interesting is the fact that in women of childbearing age, daily iron losses are even greater than those that characterize men.
In this regard, the recommended dose of iron to replenish losses is respectively:
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0.3 mg/day for infants up to 6 months of age
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11 mg/day for children up to 12 months of age
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7 mg/day for children aged 1 to 5 years
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10 mg/day for children aged 6 to 11 years
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11 mg/day for male adolescents 12 to 18 years of age
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15 mg/day for female adolescents 12 to 18 years of age
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8 mg/day for adult men aged 18 to 99 years
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18 mg/day for adult females of childbearing age
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27 mg/day for pregnant women
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9 mg/day for breastfeeding women
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8 mg/day for postmenopausal or nonmenstruating women
As can be seen from the table, the amount of intake of a supplement Of iron for women in pregnancy is particularly high.
Symptoms provoked by iron deficiency
A iron deficiency in our organism it is able to negatively influence all those processes that depend on this important mineral and in particular the formation of hemoglobin. When the latter reduces its synthesis, the number of red blood cells drops accordingly: the pathology that originates from this sudden drop in red blood cells is defined iron deficiency anemia.
Iron deficiency anemia symptoms
Below are the main symptoms that characterize iron deficiency anemia.
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Headache: The transport of oxygen and nutrients to the brain is compromised by the lack of iron and for this reason the subject has recurrent headaches.
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Difficulty concentrating: in this case too, the decrease in cerebral oxygenation can make it difficult to concentrate during study and work phases.
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Paleness: A deficiency of iron in our body and consequently of hemoglobin makes the skin paler.
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Tiredness and fatigue: present in activities that normally do not require any significant effort. Unjustified fatigue certainly represents one of the first symptoms of this type of anemia. Due to the reduction in hemoglobin, our body tissues receive less blood and tend to tire very easily.
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Particularly fragile hair and nails: the lack of normal blood supply to the tissues will make the hair and nails particularly fragile and weak. Hair in particular will tend to lose their natural shine. In some cases, if the anemia is particularly severe and advanced, the hair can even fall out. As for the nails, they will tend to break very easily, while assuming a particular concave aspect.
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State of nervousness, restlessness and anxiety: the lack of proper blood supply to the tissues often causes a constant state of anxiety and nervousness.
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Weakening of the immune system, which requires the right amount of iron to function properly. In this condition infections such as colds and gastroenteritis are more frequent.
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Desire to eat strange things: a lack of iron in our body can cause the desire to eat strange things such as ice, earth, clay, or even chalk or lime from the walls. In this way our body tries to partially recover the mineral it needs.
Severe iron deficiency anemia
Below are the symptoms of cases of severe iron deficiency anemia.
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Palpitations and rapid heart rate: the heart tries to compensate for the drop in hemoglobin in the blood by increasing the beats. The increased heart rate causes an increase in the speed with which blood reaches the body's tissues, thus causing tachycardia and palpitations.
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Severe iron deficiency anemia can cause weakness and loss of appetite in some people. Consuming less food will increase anemia, creating a vicious cycle.
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Restless Legs Syndrome: Iron deficiency anemia causes this unpleasant condition of constant tingling in the legs during the night hours. The legs are characterized by a singular discomfort from which the only momentary relief is compatible with the movement of the legs.
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Growth Reduction in Children and Adolescents: The right iron intake is essential for the growth of children and adolescents. If iron deficiency anemia is not cured in time, it is able to attack the growth of children.
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Low birth weight newborns: It has been widely demonstrated that pregnant women with severe iron deficiency anemia give birth to babies with a lower birth weight and a higher risk of complications than babies born to healthy women. Mild iron deficiency anemia is not a cause for concern for pregnant women.
The best specific iron supplements
It is possible to purchase the iron supplements in the pharmacy, as well as in shops specializing in the sale of these products, both physical and online. Let's see what are the best iron supplements used in sports and in everyday life.
A supplement Of iron and vitamin C of quality is certainly Ferrolin C: this is a food supplement based on iron, vitamin C, folic acid (folate) and vitamin B 12. Ferrolin C is a supplement useful for providing an excellent amount of nutrients to people with nutritional deficiencies or in whom there is an increased organic need. This supplement is able to support our body in numerous fundamental organic functions.
Other iron supplement of excellent quality is Sideral Strong. The latter is a dietary supplement formulated specifically to fill the deficiencies and/or an increased need for iron and vitamin C. Sideral Forte is a very effective iron supplement in the treatment of anemias. This capsule supplement is characterized by a special formulation based on iron and vitamin C, able to promote the natural well-being of our body.
Among the supplements particularly suitable for counteracting the iron deficiency there is Floradix Iron: it is a natural supplement based on iron, particularly complete, balanced and highly digestible. Floradix is not simply an iron supplement, since it contains in its formulation vitamin C and B vitamins. Thanks to its particular formulation, this supplement is able to provide the body with a complete supply of energy: Floradix is particularly suitable for all those people who need to recover strength and vitality so as to face everyday life in the best way.
In the end Beauty Potion 4S, our specific supplement for the beauty of hair and nails, contains all the essential minerals including 150mg of iron or 107.14% NRV*.
Foods particularly rich in iron
Finally, here are some indications on the foods particularly rich in iron and indicated for people who have a deficiency of this important mineral in their organism.
Among the foods of animal and vegetable origin that are particularly rich in iron are clams, calf's liver and offal in general, canned sardines, red pork, and also turkey meat, spinach, pumpkin seeds, lentils, dark chocolate, quinoa and tofu.
Image credits:
Wet clams. Image of Freepik
Lentil stew. Image of chandlervid85 on Freepik
Woman with ruined hair. Cookie_studio image on Freepik
