Natural Remedies
What are the physiological and metabolic advantages conferred by maintaining optimal iron levels in the body?
Iron is a nutrient needed for several reasons. These include feeding good and bad bacteria. Iron helps to maintain many vital functions in the body, like general energy and focus, gastrointestinal processes, the immune system, and the regulation of body temperature.
The benefits of iron often go unnoticed until a person is not getting enough of it. Iron deficiency can cause fatigue, heart palpitations, pale skin and breathlessness.
Benefits
Increases energy
Increases focus
Treats anemia
Helps to maintain gastrointestinal processes
Helps to maintain the immune system
Supports the regulation of body temperature
Symptoms of deficiency
Fatigue
Paleness
Brittle nails
Breathing problems
Grooved nails
Hair loss / hair thinning
Twitching
Irritation
PICA
Dirt, chalk, ice cravings
Restless leg syndrome
Causes of deficiency
Excessive menstruation
Ulcers
Hemorrhoids
Colon cancer
Vegan diet
Antibiotics
Low stomach acidity
Malabsorption
Inflammation (the more chronic inflammation you have - the less iron in your body)
Problems with too much iron
Too much iron in the body is very dangerous to the mitochondria of the cells. It can create a lot of problems. When you combine free iron with oxygen, it forms a very powerful free radical that can damage the fat layer that surrounds the nervous system, called the myelin.
In the body, iron must be formed with protein. Too much Iron can also cause destruction to specific parts of the brain, specifically the hippocampus—which then can lead to dementia.
Here is some additional information on the negative effects of too much iron.
Iron is attracted to damaged tissues in the body (brain, nerve, eye, liver and heart) and oxidizes them
Oxidizes tissues (creates a rusting effect), including the fat layer around the nervous system cells, and the brain
Accumulates in the body
Body can’t get rid of it efficiently
All bacteria need iron to survive (including bad ones)
Where to get it
Seafood
Red meat
Poultry
Eggs
Insects
Clams
Liver
Kidney and other organ meats
Oysters
Octopus
Fish
Eggs
Last updated: Sep 07, 2024 15:15 PM