Iron
Iron, known by the chemical symbol Fe, is perhaps one of the most important elements in the human body. The body uses this in the production of haemoglobin in the blood and myoglobin in the muscles. In addition, iron is an essential component of many of the proteins in the body.
The role of iron in the haemoglobin is to help it pick up the oxygen from the lungs and bring this oxygen to all the cells of the body so that they can gain the energy they need to function and keep the body healthy.
Meat is the main source of iron in the diet, especially liver, red meat and the dark meat of poultry. Some of the other foods that are excellent sources of iron are:
- dried beans and nuts
- dried fruit
- eggs
- oysters
- salmon
- tuna
- whole grain products
Lamb, pork and shellfish also contain some iron. If you stick to a vegetarian diet, the body may have difficulty absorbing the iron it needs from the food, but you can help this process by including leafy green vegetables and Vitamin C with your meals. Vitamin C aids the body in its absorption of iron from the food you eat.
continue to Iron Part 2