Iron Part 2
An iron deficiency in the body is very common. It results in feelings of fatigue, headache, shortness of breath, irritability, weight loss and reduced energy. This is because without a sufficient supply of iron, the body is not able to product the haemoglobin needed in the blood and thus is unable to supply oxygen to the cells. The muscle cells can become very weak. This condition is called iron deficiency anaemia and is generally caused by poor diet.
The symptoms develop slowly and you will need to increase the amount of iron rich foods in the diet or supplement the iron supply with dietary supplements. Pregnancy and stress often cause an iron deficiency as well or if you sustain an injury that results in the loss of a lot of blood.
At the same time the amount of iron in your body has to be kept to satisfactory limits. Although the body can decrease the amounts of iron it absorbs from food when its stores are full, iron toxicity does result when the body continues to absorb iron. This results in a condition known as hemachromatosis and is usually genetic.
Repeated blood transfusions can also cause this toxicity. Iron toxicity causes damage to the tissues in the muscles, especially the liver. Because the bacteria in the body also thrive on iron, an overload can cause increased infection due to the bacteria growth. The symptoms are the same as those for an iron deficiency.
If you do not have enough iron in your diet because you do not like meat or any of the other foods rich in this mineral, you should take dietary supplements on a daily basis. These supplements come with directions about the daily dose required for children, teenagers, adults and pregnant or nursing mothers.
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