Iron. Most connotations tend to be gym-focused, see “pumping iron.” But beyond helping our muscles become stronger, iron is also critical for keeping our bodies happy on the inside. Iron plays a significant role in proper cellular function and is indispensable in the transportation of oxygen throughout the body. Since humans don’t produce our own iron, it is our job to provide our bodies with the purest sources of iron for our many iron critical functions. As you may have heard, Moringa Oleifera, is a fantastic way to supplement your diet, giving your body a nutritional hit unlike any other due to the plethora of micronutrients available in its composition. That being said, let’s take another look at this guy, iron, and his strength outside of the weight room!unnamed[1]

There are six essential nutrients that the body needs for optimal functioning: carbohydrates, protein, fats, vitamins, minerals and water- each and every one of these needing a specific amount of the other, like a recipe, to appropriately complete their job. Iron is naturally present in many foods, the richest sources being lean meat and seafood, “the bioavailability of iron approximately 14% to 18% from diets that include substantial amounts of meat, seafood, and vitamin C, and 5% to 12% from vegetarian diets.” With the scientific ability to fortify, adding material for enriching, just about everything in this day and age, one would venture to say that iron supplementation should be no problem. Wrongo. Because of their nature, fortified foods- as suggested in the name –are not holistic in structure. What supersedes other factors is the source of the nutrient, its bioavailability, and the presence of other micronutrients that are necessary for the breakdown and absorbance of iron. So brings us to the overconsumption of fortified foods because why wouldn’t you want to eat a Twinkie over a piece of salmon if it is fortified with iron, protein, and omega 3s? Head scratch.

Why is iron so important? Iron is needed by the immune system, brain development and function, regulation of body temperature, muscle activity and perhaps most importantly, for every single breath. Iron is required for the production of red blood cells, a process known as hematopoiesis, serving as part of hemoglobin that makes up the red pigment of the cells. The iron binds to the oxygen, facilitating its transport from the lungs via the arteries to all cells throughout the body. What happens next? Once the oxygen is delivered, the iron binds the carbon dioxide which is then transported back to the lung from where it gets exhaled. As you can see, iron is a vital ingredient to this process. When the balance of iron in the body is off, your body is going to speak to you through fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and difficulty concentrating. Athletes listen up! Iron is involved in the conversion of blood sugar to energy, metabolic energy, which is crucial for muscles to work at their optimum during exercise. And after exercise? Well, the production of new enzymes depends on iron, fundamental for the recovery process from training, or illness. The proof is in the pudding that this guy is quite the all-star when it comes to micronutrients. How do we ensure the proper consumption of such a versatile nutrient?

Since we have no iron stores in the body and lose a cumulative amount, up to 90%, through urination, defecation, sweating, menstruation, and the exfoliation of old skin cells, it is imperative to replace iron daily. Rest assured, you needn’t look any further. It’s safe to say we’ve all seen Pop-Eye the sailor man, how could you forget those muscles?! So it goes without saying that the spinach he obsessively consumed had a huge impact on his muscular make up, his increased ability to draw in oxygen and obvious increase in overall health.

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It is important to note however, that not all iron is created equal once it enters your body through the digestive process, as there are inhibiting and enhancing nutrients and vitamins. Calcium and Polyphenols, for instance, inhibit the absorption of iron. Polyphenols occurring in various amounts of plant foods ie, vegetables, fruit, cereal and legumes and calcium, for instance, has been “shown to effect the absorption on the basolateral membrane.” The source of the calcium not having much importance as calcium equals calcium in this case. And on the flip side, ascorbic acid aids in the absorption of iron through its ability to overcome the negative effect on iron absorption of all inhibitors, also increasing both fortified and native sources of iron.

Putting it all together, one can see the vital role iron plays in the body along with copious variable factors that are notably important for the proper utilization of, for example, this single nutrient to the whole of the body! With the consistent loss of iron the body experiences daily, and our lack of iron stores, the importance of being mindful in its most holistic consumption cannot be understated. Vegetables, lean meats and other holistic sources such as Moringa Oleifera can make you the healthiest and strongest version of your authentic Pop-Eye, inside or outside of the gym, guaranteed!

Works Cited:
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/91/5/1461S.full