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The importance of iron in a kid’s body cannot be stressed highly. The most common form of anemia among children is leucopenia, which occurs due to a lack of hemoglobin and other red blood cells. Leucopenia leads to pale skin and hair loss and also causes weakness and frequent infections.1 So, it becomes extremely important to ensure that the kids have adequate amounts of iron in their daily diet as this helps them in fighting against these problems and can even improve their overall health.2
If you are looking forward to iron supplements for your child, you must be wondering why the importance of iron in a kid’s body cannot be ignored? One of the reasons is that the presence of insufficient iron levels in the diet is not easily absorbed in the body. So, it is essential to ensure that your kid takes the right amount of iron that he/she needs in order to make use of the healthy importance of iron in a kid’s body. This can be achieved by either choosing foods or opting for pills that contain sufficient amounts of iron for a kid’s body.3
The importance of iron in a kid’s body cannot be ignored any longer. It is very important to ensure that your child gets enough amounts of iron-rich foods as well as enough iron-rich pills on a regular basis. You can consult your doctor about iron intake for kids. He may suggest a particular brand of iron-rich pills that can help your kid get the right amounts of iron in his/her daily diet. However, it is strongly recommended to opt for natural iron-based dietary supplements for kids so that they get all the benefits of iron without getting side effects.
What is Iron?
When someone asks what Iron is and what it does to the body, it is important to first determine what is the importance of iron to our bodies and how it can help us function properly. Iron is a very important mineral that our bodies need and cannot live without. The three major functions that iron serves in our body are: regulating anemia, building red blood cell mass, and fighting infections. Without iron, our body will become brittle, thin, pale, and can even cause fatigue and weakness.4
The amount of iron that you should get each day, according to your age, depends largely on your gender, your current diet, and your iron-fortified food intake.5 Average daily required amounts are listed below as well. Vegetarians who don’t eat any meat, seafood, or dairy products need almost double the iron listed in the average table because the human body doesn’t absorb non-heme iron in animal food and only heme iron in plant food. It is also believed that vegetarians are more prone to diseases because iron deficiency can be dangerous to anemia and other chronic diseases. Some people believe that a vegetarian diet is healthy and others believe it is unhealthy because iron deficiency anemia can even lead to heart disease.6
What Are the Health Benefits of Iron?
A lot of us know about its benefits to an individual’s health, but we are unaware of its importance to a community’s health. According to a study by the USDA, nearly 29% of the U.S. consumed less than the recommended daily allowance of iron (menopause for women). And the number of people with anemia is also increasing.7
Iron plays a vital role in oxygen delivery to the bloodstream and the utilization of energy. Hence, it benefits brain function in several ways. It reduces the risk of anemia and perimenopause in women. It helps in cell division and development. Additionally, researchers have found that the blood contains high levels of iron in brain tissue and that iron deficiency can cause serious damage to the brain.
What are the iron benefits for the body, if one consumes Iron supplements regularly? Studies have shown that intake of Iron supplements can enhance brain function to a significant extent. It also prevents diseases such as colon cancer, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and heart disease.
Iron plays a vital role in many biochemical processes in the body. It helps in the formation of hemoglobin, which transports oxygen into the body’s tissues. Also, the presence of iron in the body provides the necessary fuel for the enzymes that break down protein. And without iron, the nervous system remains inactive and we find it difficult to perform even day-to-day tasks. Hence, it plays an important role in maintaining the health of our bodies.
Another great health benefit of iron is the effect it has on body temperature. When you take an iron supplement, your body temperature increases slightly. This happens because when our body demands more iron than it can produce in our stores, it makes use of our stored iron in the form of hemoglobin. So, taking Iron supplementation regularly helps reduce blood loss due to anemia and other complications of iron deficiency.8
Another benefit of Iron is related to anemia. When you have low iron levels in your blood, the oxygen that is present in your red blood cells is unable to travel to the cells in your body. This means that you feel tired and weak. Apart from this, the oxygen that is transported to your muscles is low in iron content. But, with the help of an iron supplement, you can increase the amount of oxygen carried to your muscles, thus helping you to feel energized.
Signs of Iron Deficiency
Signs of iron deficiency are difficult to recognize because the symptoms are like those of many other health conditions. Iron deficiency has symptoms that are actually common to many diseases. When it comes to iron deficiency, it is a lack of enough of the mineral that is necessary for normal body functions. It affects the digestive system and the immune system.9
Because signs of iron deficiency can be so subtle, it is important to take action quickly. Iron deficiencies that go untreated for a long time can cause very serious medical problems. The signs of iron deficiency often do not show until a major illness or injury occurs. If the deficiency is not treated, it could result in death. Symptoms of iron deficiency include weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, weight loss, redness and swelling of the skin, constipation, heart palpitations, and fatigue. If any of these symptoms occur along with abdominal pain, blood in the urine or semen, fever, and vomiting, then it is important to seek medical attention immediately.
The signs of iron deficiency can be found through a simple blood test. A blood test that detects the amount of hemoglobin that is available to cells and the absorption of iron into the body can determine whether the body is properly absorbing iron. Signs of iron deficiency may be subtle. Those who have symptoms of iron deficiency may not realize that they have them. Signs of iron deficiency are very common in young children who do not receive enough nutrients, such as those who live on diets low in fat and low in fiber.
Image Credits
Medium / 2021
Very Well Health / July 13, 2020
Nature Sutra / 2021
1 “Leukopenia – an overview | ScienceDirect Topics.” https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/leukopenia Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
2 “Iron: Recommended intake, benefits, and food sources.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287228 Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
3 “Iron: Recommended intake, benefits, and food sources.” https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/287228 Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
4 “Iron deficiency anemia – Symptoms and causes – Mayo Clinic.” 18 Oct. 2019, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/iron-deficiency-anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20355034 Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
5 “Iron: What You Need to Know – WebMD.” 12 Jul. 2011, https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/features/iron-supplements Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
6 “Iron – Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.” 29 Mar. 2021, Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
7 “USDA.” https://www.usda.gov/”> https://www.usda.gov/ Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
8 “Anemia: Symptoms, Types, Causes, Risks, Treatment & Management.” 6 Apr. 2020, https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/3929-anemia Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
9 “Iron Deficiency Anemia: Causes, Symptoms, Treatment & More.” https://www.healthline.com/health/iron-deficiency-anemia Accessed 16 Aug. 2021.
