Iron is a mineral that functions as a carrier of oxygen in the blood, explains Ohio State University Extension. Iron also helps the immune system, cognitive development, temperature regulation, and energy metabolism. The Recommended Dietary...
Low levels of iron or vitamin B-12 can cause anemia, or a low count of healthy red blood cells in the body. Red blood cells transport oxygen to your body's tissues. The body needs B-12 to make red blood cells, and it needs iron to make hemoglobin,...
Iron is an important mineral in the body that is required to maintain life. It is found in your red blood cells, which work at carrying oxygen throughout your body and removing carbon dioxide, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center. If...
Low iron is a common problem during pregnancy, though many women are unaware of how easy it is to become iron-deficient. Even if you're eating a healthy diet, it's important to pay close attention to your iron intake, since your body requires...
Iron serves so many vital roles in the body that a low-iron diet is not desirable. It's also difficult to achieve since virtually all foods contain iron. However, substances found in plants, coffee, tea and wine inhibit its absorption, and the...
Iron is a vital component of red blood cells that carry oxygen from your lung to the rest of the body. Over time, low levels of iron can lead to iron deficiency anemia. Symptoms of this condition include poor work performance, fatigue, pale skin,...
Iron is found in all of your cells, where it serves as a cofactor for energy-producing enzymes. However, most of your iron supply -- about two-thirds, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements -- is bound to hemoglobin, the oxygen-carrying...
Low iron levels in toddlers can result in anemia, a condition often caused by a lack of iron-rich foods in the diet. Rapid growth during the toddler years can make your child more likely to develop iron-deficiency anemia. If untreated,...
Although iron and vitamin B12 are not in the same nutrient class -- one is a mineral, and the other is a vitamin -- they are often mentioned together because their food sources are similar. Because they are in similar foods, it is possible to...
Anemia is a condition in which your body fails to produce enough red blood cells. This causes the cells in your body to receive insufficient oxygen, resulting in feelings of tiredness, weakness and shortness of breath. Some types of anemia are the...
Your body uses iron to create hemoglobin, a component of red blood cells that facilitates the delivery of oxygen to every cell in your body. Insufficient iron intake can lead to a variety of problems, such as weakness, fatigue, reduced mental...
Iron is an essential mineral that your body needs to function. Your iron status directly affects your ability to transport oxygen in your bloodstream. Your body needs iron to produce hemoglobin, the protein in your blood that carries oxygen. It is...
Iron is an essential nutrient for healthy red blood cells, and women and children may be at risk for insufficient intake. However, if you have gotten too much iron as the result of taking iron supplements when you did not need them, you may need...
Iron deficiency anemia is low numbers of red cells in the blood caused by too little iron. Iron intake is needed for the body to be able to produce new red blood cells. Red blood cells provide oxygen to body tissues. Anemia is usually the cause of...
Without iron, you would not be able to survive. Red blood cells rely on iron to help carry oxygen to cells throughout the body. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, iron also helps produce adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, which...
Foods that raise your energy and concentration levels might be legendary, but their effects are real. Liver and spinach contribute significant amounts of iron and energy to your diet. Because this mineral exists in two forms, one of which is less...
Pregnancy makes great demands of your body. Growing, developing and birthing a child are hard work and can put stress on your body. Your nutrition can influence how your body performs and recovers from the stress of pregnancy, especially your...
Iron is a nutrient necessary for the formation of hemoglobin, the protein component of red blood cells. If there is a low amount of iron in the blood, the body is unable to make hemoglobin, which results in a lower red blood cell count. Red blood...
Low iron in your blood generally refers to iron deficiency anemia. Iron is an important component of your blood and contributes to the protein, or hemoglobin, present in the blood. This iron is responsible for proper oxygen supply achieved by the...
Full-term babies come into the world with a supply of iron that will last them through the first six months of life. A necessary element throughout life, iron helps make hemoglobin, the part of the red blood cell that carries oxygen. After an...
Iron is a trace mineral serving as a cofactor to enzymes involved in oxidation-reduction reactions. Oxidation-reduction reactions take place in virtually every cell of the body. Iron also has a role in the electron transport chain serving as part...
If you have low iron levels in your blood, you may have iron-deficiency anemia or borderline anemia, a condition that can ultimately result in a shortage of oxygen in the body. Red meat is often at the top of the list of iron-rich foods but many...
You could be misdiagnosed as suffering from depression rather than a possible iron deficiency, especially during the early stages of diagnosis. The symptoms of depression and iron deficiency are similar and may necessitate further tests to target...
It has long been thought that iron deficiency may be involved in depression, but there is some controversy about the severity of low iron in causing mood swings. A study by the USDA's Agricultural Research Service, published in the May 1999 issue...
During pregnancy, you need more dietary iron to keep you and your fetus healthy. Not consuming enough iron can harm your developing baby. Women normally need 18 mg of iron per day. However, during pregnancy, this increases to 27 mg per day. A high...
Iron is an essential mineral in the diet. Most often, people do not eat enough iron to support their body's functions, but too much iron can sometimes cause negative side effects. Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease that enhances iron absorption,...
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia in young children, according to KidsHealth. Although its prevalence has decreased due to food fortification, iron deficiency anemia remains the most common nutritional deficiency in the world,...
While iron levels can impact the levels of hemoglobin in your blood, iron does not seem to have any direct impact on your blood pressure. Preliminary research has suggested that a connection can be made, but there is currently no solid scientific...
Yeast, or candida, is a ubiquitous fungus that is part of your normal flora. However, it can cause opportunistic infections if you have reduced immunity. The infection can affect any part of the body, and the symptoms may be mild or...