Essentials: Iron

Iron is an essential building block for our body. Shortage of iron in the body can lead to anemia, which keeps your body from producing hemoglobin.

Iron is an essential building block for our body. It transports oxygen and regulates cell growth. If you are short on iron you may suffer from anemia, which is the #1 nutritional disorder in the world. In fact, 80% of the world’s population does not get enoughiron. When you are anemic, your body does not have enough hemoglobin or myoglobin. Symptoms of anemia are cold hands and feet, dizziness, headaches, and an irregular heartbeat. To avoid this, eat foods that arehigh in iron and take a daily iron supplement. If you have any questions please ask your doctor.

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This video features Lynn Goldstein, MS, RD, CSO, CDN. Lynn Goldstein is a registered dietitian with a masters of science degree from New York University. She is board certified in oncology nutrition and is the clinical nutrition supervisor for Beth Israel Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Duration: 3:49. Last Updated On: Nov. 8, 2017, 6:14 p.m.

00:00 [SOUND]
00:03 [MUSIC] I'm Lynn Goldstein,
00:04 a registered dietitian.
00:05 Iron is one of the most plentiful metals on Earth, and it isn't just for
00:09 building skyscrapers.
00:10 [SOUND] Iron is an essential building block for our own structure.
00:14 We need iron for
00:15 everything from transporting oxygen around the body to regulating cell growth.
00:21 Normally the body absorbs about 10% of the iron in foods we eat.
00:26 But iron is so vital, our bodies are able to recycle the iron it
00:29 needs from our old red blood cells when it has to.
00:32 Talk about sustainable construction.
00:35 Without enough iron, you can develop a condition called anemia.
00:39 The World Health Organization ranks iron deficiency as
00:42 the number one nutritional disorder.
00:45 Nearly 80% of the world's population may not get enough iron,
00:48 and as many as 30% may have full-blown iron deficiency anemia.
00:52 When you're anemic, your body doesn't have the iron it needs to make hemoglobin,
00:57 found in our blood cells, and myoglobin, found in our muscles.
01:01 It's the iron in these two proteins that gives both blood and muscle its red color.
01:06 Hemoglobin and myoglobin are responsible for carrying and
01:10 storing oxygen in our body.
01:12 When the body doesn't get the oxygen it needs, it can cause a range of
01:16 symptoms like pale skin, fatigue, and vulnerability to infection.
01:20 Cold hands and feet, dizziness, and headaches, and
01:24 even an irregular heartbeat can also be symptoms of anemia.
01:27 Not having enough iron can be caused by a number of things.
01:31 Blood loss, including internal bleeding over time say from an ulcer,
01:36 or certain tumors or even in some women having heavy periods, poor nutrition,
01:40 the demands of pregnancy or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods.
01:45 Meat is an especially iron rich food and
01:46 the form of iron in meat is absorbed especially easily by the body.
01:53 It's called a heme iron and it's also found in liver, seafood and poultry.
01:57 Plants contain non-heme iron which is less efficiently absorbed, but
02:02 are still great choices.
02:04 These include dark green leafy vegetables like spinach, beans, and
02:07 iron fortified foods like certain breakfast cereals, breads, and pastas.
02:12 Even some dried fruits like raisins and
02:14 apricots, as well as certain nuts and seeds, can pack a hearty iron punch.
02:20 Research has shown that your body absorbs iron more easily when iron-rich food is
02:24 eaten with foods containing lots of vitamin C.
02:28 Good choices for those include fruits like melons, strawberries, kiwis and mangoes,
02:34 and vegetables like broccoli, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, and even potatoes.
02:40 Too much iron isn't good either.
02:40 In fact, it can be deadly.
02:42 Hemochromatosis or iron overload disease is
02:45 an inherited condition in which too much iron builds up in the body.
02:51 Despite the complicated name,
02:53 it's one of the most common genetic diseases in the US.
02:57 When someone has this condition during digestion the body absorbs a lot more
03:02 iron than it needs and then has no way of getting rid of it.
03:06 The extra iron is stored in the body tissues especially the heart,
03:09 liver, and pancreas.
03:11 Over time iron levels can become dangerously high and
03:14 those organs can be damaged or even fail completely.
03:18 Taking too many iron supplements can also lead to iron poisoning.
03:22 Trying to adjust the iron levels yourself can be hazardous.
03:26 See your doctor if you suspect you might have either too much or
03:30 too little iron in your system.
03:32 As a registered dietitian, I know that designing a healthy diet can
03:34 sometimes feel as complicated as constructing highrises.
03:36 But eating a variety of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and
03:43 lean meats is a great foundation to build on.