Chelated iron supplements hold the key to addressing iron deficiency without the harmful side effects.
For centuries, scientists, philoophers and doctors of all kinds have prescribed iron as a cure for just about every ailment known to man. As early as the 1700s, iron was found to be a vital component of blood, and used as a treatment for anaemia. Iron is a trace mineral essential for human health. Unfortunately, iron is very poorly absorbed by the human body with as much as 95% of our iron intake being eliminated.
However, the iron that is absorbed is very efficiently used within the body. The body’s iron supply isn’t depleted or destroyed – it is used and reused. Minute amounts of iron are lost through physical activity and menstruation, and this needs to be replaced regularly.
Iron is found in our diets in meat, legumes, dates, nuts, spinach, apricots, tofu, rice, oatmeal and other foods. Alarmingly, modern food processing techniques and decreased soil richness have resulted in adecline in the iron content of our food. Surprisingly, the growing tendency not to use iron cook ware has also impacted the quantity of iron we take in on a regular basis.
Why do we need iron?
Iron functions primarily as a component of haemoglobin, the coloured substance in red blood cells. Haemoglobin and iron transport oxygen from the lungs to the cells. There oxygen is used to sustain life. In muscle cells, oxygen forms part of a chemical reaction that cause contraction. Iron is also present in the enzymes that digest protein.
Iron deficiency – a global trend
Around the globe there has been an alarming increase in iron deficiency symptoms, which include:
- lack of energy or tiredness;
- extreme fatigue and a feeling of weakness;
- light-headedness;
- decreased concentration, inability to focus and trouble completing tasks;
- headaches;
- pale skin on the lining of the eyes, the inner mouth and the nails;
- rapid and forceful heartbeat;
- low blood pressure with position change from sitting to standing up;
- finger nails that become thin, brittle and white – they may grow abnormally and get a spoon-shaped appearance;
- tongue may become sore, smooth and reddened;
- decrease in appetite;
- shortness of breath during exercise;
- brittle hair;
- reduction in immunity and increased vulnerability to infection;
- a strong desire to eat nonfoods such as ice, paint or dirt (a condition called Pica);
- disturbed sleep;
- abdominal pain.
Depression and uncharacteristic impatience may also point to an iron deficiency. Studies show that more than 55% of all children are iron deficient.
But I’ve heard iron supplements can cause health complications. Is that true?
There has been scientific and anecdotal evidence of side effects to taking oral iron supplements, especially when taken by very young children in large quantities. These symptoms include:
- Digestive difficulties;
- Abdominal pain and cramping;
- Constipation and diarrhoea;
- Heartburn;
- Nausea;
- Vomiting;
- Blackened stools.
How can a health supplement be harmful, and what can I do about my iron deficiency?
First of all, ALWAYS ensure that your children’s supplement intake is carefullymonitored. Never allow children to administer their own nutritional supplements: they are too young to be given that responsibility and the results of doing so can be severe. Treat nutritional supplements as medicine and keep them far out of reach of children.
The symptoms described above are the result of poor absorption of iron into the body. GNLD’s Chelated Iron has been bonded to specially selected amino acids in a 2:1 ratio during a process known as chelation, which ensures maximum absorption. Each tablet contains 25mg of iron, the ideal amount for adults. We recommend breaking a tablet in two for children under the age of 12.
Vitamin C has been shown to have a dramatic effect on the uptake of iron in the body, improving absorption from both supplements and food sources. Vitamin C is an essential antioxidant component of GNLD’s Carotenoid Complex.
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