Iron

Iron

• What Is It?

  • Iron is a mineral and an essential component of hemoglobin. It is naturally present in many foods, added to some food products, and available as a dietary supplement [59].

• How Does It Work in the Body?

  • Iron is a crucial component of heme synthesis. The iron in the blood is transported to the mitochondria and inserted into heme precursor, protoporphyrin IX, via the enzyme ferrochelatase. This produces heme.

• What Is It Used for?

  • Iron is a key building block for hemoglobin formation. Its primary purpose is to prevent anemia. Hemoglobin resides on red blood cells, a mineral in the human body, is one of the components of hemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that helps blood carry oxygen throughout the body. If you do not have enough iron, your body cannot make hemoglobin and you may develop anemia.  

    
    

• Precautions/Side Effects:

  • Iron is generally safe with doses below the tolerable upper intake level (UL) of 45 mg elemental iron daily.

  • High doses of iron can cause gastrointestinal issues including upset stomach, nausea, diarrhea, and vomiting; however, taking iron supplements with food seems to reduce side effects.

  • Iron is likely unsafe when taken in excessive doses. Acute intakes of more than 20 mg/kg iron (about 1365 mg iron for a person weighing 150 lb) from supplements or medicines can lead to corrosive necrosis of the intestine, which might lead to fluid and blood loss, shock, tissue damage, and organ failure, especially if food is not taken at the same time as the iron.  

    
    

• Evidence for and Against:

  • Recent evidence indicates that low doses of iron sulfate are more effective and better tolerated than the traditionally recommended dose (100-200 mg daily).

  • Studies now suggest switching from daily to alternate-day schedules and from divided to morning single doses increases iron absorption and may reduce side effects. Providing morning doses of 60-120 mg iron as a ferrous salt given with ascorbic acid on alternate days may be an optimal oral dosing regimen for women with iron-deficiency and mild IDA.  

    
    

• Dosage:

  • The amount of iron needed daily depends on your age. Average daily recommended amounts of iron for non-vegetarians are listed below:

Recommended daily allowance for vegetarians is 1.8 times higher than individuals who eat meat because iron is more bioavailable in meat compared to plants.

• Interactions:

  • Evidence exists that indicates that iron supplements may reduce the absorption of levodopa, thus diminish its clinical effectiveness.

  • Simultaneous ingestion of iron and levothyroxine can result in significant reductions in levothyroxine efficacy.

  • Proton pump inhibitors reduce the acidity of stomach contents and thus, can reduce iron absorption.