A nutrient present in many foods that we consume every day, iron is also and above all important for mental health
Iron is one of the most present minerals in our body in terms of quantity and is a key component of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to the whole body. Furthermore, iron also makes up myoglobin, which is the protein that supplies the muscles with oxygen. This macro element, however, is also central in the maintenance of mental health: Here because.
Given its importance in physical and mental health, iron must be taken through a varied and healthy diet. Foods that contain it are liver, fish and meat, but green leafy vegetables are also excellent sources of iron, as are legumes, dried fruit and cereals. Here’s what it looks like if you’re getting enough iron, and what happens if you’re deficient: the consequences on mental health you would never imagine them.
Iron, how much do you need per day? Quantity and shortages
Considering a healthy adult man, the daily iron requirement is 14 mg: this value, however, is to be considered as a reference and it is not said that it is correct for every person. The amount of iron needed, in fact, varies according to age, gender and other physiological and pathological conditions, such as pregnancy or breastfeeding. In general, however, it can be said that women need larger quantities and, for this, it is important that they frequently dose this mineral through blood tests.
Iron testing by blood tests measures the amount of it circulating in the body in relation to transferrin, i.e. the most important iron transport protein in the plasma. Another value to consider is ferritin, i.e. the protein that stores iron. In fact, the values that are considered are three:
- the sideremiai.e. the amount of iron bound to transferrin;
- the transferrini.e. the protein that transports iron;
- the ferritinthe protein that contains and stores iron.
Symptoms of iron deficiency
The possible symptoms of an iron deficiency are varied and articulated. One of the main ones is l’anemia, therefore the reduction of red blood cells and consequently the inability to distribute oxygen to the tissues and organs of the whole body. Also, other symptoms are the tirednessthe little energy available, memory and concentration difficulties as well as problems related to the immune system and difficulty with thermoregulation. Gastrointestinal disturbances have also been reported.
Symptoms of excess iron
On the other hand, having too much iron in the blood can also cause problems especially in the stomach such as nausea or vomitingas well as abdominal pain, fainting and, in very high doses, even coma, organ failure and convulsions. In the case of hemochromatosis, i.e. the medical condition that leads to the accumulation of almost toxic amounts of iron for the body, there may also be cirrhosis, liver cancer and cardiovascular disease.
Effects of iron on mental health
Iron is not only important for the health of the body, but also for the health of the mind. In fact, this mineral increases motivation and perseverance, the will and the enthusiasm: being lacking, therefore, could obscure this important aspect of everyone’s life. Impossible then not to mention the link between iron and calm and security: adequate levels of this macro-element allow you to make decisions in a weighted way and to reflect conscientiously.
If on the one hand it is therefore necessary to consider the amount of iron to be taken daily and the importance of introducing useful and profitable foods in this sense, on the other hand bioavailability cannot be ignored, i.e. how much and in what way the iron contained in each food can be assimilated by the body. Iron is distinguished in this sense in two versions: the heme ironbound to hemoglobin e iron does not haem. The former constitutes 40% of the iron in foods of animal origin, while the latter constitutes 60%.
The first is absorbed more easily, while the second is assimilated after the detachment of iron from the original molecule and by the subsequent binding with sugars or acids, so that its absorption is influenced by the presence of other substances. To promote the absorption of iron is important eat foods containing vitamin Csince it increases the bioavailability of non-heme iron, the one contained in the majority in foods of plant and animal origin.
Enemies of iron absorption on the other hand, they are the tannins contained in tea and coffee, the phytic acid contained above all in radicchio, rocket and spinach, the oxalic acid in beets and chard and the polyphenols in wine, coffee and tea. In the case of major deficiencies, the doctor can indicate compensation by means of taking specific supplements.