Iron might work as good or bad for us. When we don’t absorb enough iron we risk anemia, but if we absorb too much we may be increasing our risk of colorectal cancer, heart disease, infection, neurodegenerative disorders, and inflammatory conditions.
Vitamin plays an important role in improving mineral absorption in human body. Along with minerals, vitamins as well as phosphorus, iron are also an important mineral that helps in repair and development of human body. Even in order to enhance normal functioning of body proper absorption of mineral within the body becomes important. Improvement of mineral bone strength as well as density will be important. This also helps in keeping your heart beat normal and maintaining good health always.
Mineral plays an important role in our body. But, excess of anything might not be favorable. For example, iron is one of the important minerals that help in red blood cell production. Most of the women have very less iron in their body as the RBC count gets reduced due to their blood loss during the menstrual cycle that takes place every month. You need to avail the right variety of mineral that will compensate your mineral absorbing capacity. But, your body must be adapted with the capacity of mineral absorption. If you don’t have such capacity, let us find out ways that will help.
Role of vitamins in improving mineral absorption
Vitamin C for iron
Iron plays an important role in keeping the cells alive within the body. Thus, it is naturally one of the most common mineral found in our body. According to the experts, most iron cells are found in the red blood cells where oxygen needs to be carried appropriately. Even in the activity of energy production, iron becomes an important factor. If you don’t have adequate iron within your body, this can also lead to weakness, fatigue as well as anemia. You can consume green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes etc to form iron and vitamin C is really important in absorbing this mineral within your body.
Vitamin K for calcium
Calcium is another type of mineral that is really very essential for your body. Especially your bones are highly dependent on extend of iron in your body. When you get a cut over your skin, blood flow needs to be controlled through a cloth. This will be only possible if your body has enough amount of vitamin k. This vitamin works really well in maintaining bone density after binding the same with calcium. Vitamin K makes a synergy effect to vitamin D so that your body can effectively use calcium and help in bone repair.
Vitamin D
Natural way of receiving vitamin D will be sunlight. If you can get the mild effect of sun rays early in the morning, enough of vitamin D will be retained inside your body. Vitamin D is very essential in enhancing absorption of calcium within your body. You can also get enhancement of calcium absorption right from the digestive tract so that bone density and bone absorption will be highly improved. It will be best if you can get enough exposure to sunlight. But today due to environmental effect, people can hardly get the benefit of sunlight purely. But since it is not possible, you can make a substitute through the food that are rich in minerals such as dairy products, meat and fish.
If you want your body to receive nutrients, it is important to make the digestive system to extract those nutrients adequately. Once you have supplied adequate supplements to your bloodstream, it can easily absorb the vitamins as well as minerals. If you want to understand the ability of body to absorb different type of minerals, it is important to have a look at the brief overview. Researchers have worked with the absorption capacity of minerals like zinc, iron as well as calcium.
Risk associated with iron supplements
The other conditions that have been associated with high iron intake include Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, arthritis, and diabetes. Because the human body has no mechanism to rid itself of excess iron, we evolved to tightly regulate the absorption of it. If our iron stores are low our intestines boost the absorption of iron, and if our iron stores are topped off our intestines block the absorption of iron to maintain us at the sweet spot. But, this only works with the primary source of iron in the human diet, the iron found in plant foods. Our digestive system can’t regulate the iron in ingested blood iron as effectively.
Are Iron pills good for you during pregnancy?
Iron overload may be one of the reasons meat consumption has been tied to breast cancer risk. Iron is a pro-oxidant and can induce oxidative stress and DNA damage. “A high intake of iron in developed societies may, over time, lead to a physiologic state of iron overload in postmenopausal women, who are no longer losing blood every month. Iron overload favors the production of free radicals, fat oxidation, DNA damage, and may contribute to breast carcinogenesis independently or by potentiating the effects of other carcinogens.”
Tips for enhancing iron absorption
By carefully selecting food combination you get enough vitamin C are ways you can increase the amount of iron available for use in the body.
Vitamin C can be lost due to heat from cooking and long storage so choose fresh, raw sources most often. Meat-eaters should focus on combining animal-based foods with plant sources of iron for improved absorption.
Sources for heme iron
– Chicken and beef livers
– Beef – chuck
– Turkey and chicken
– Light tuna canned in water
Sources for non-heme iron
– Beans – kidney
– Fermented soy-based foods such as firm tofu
– Lentils
– Nuts and seeds
– Ready-to-eat, iron-fortified cereal
– Spinach
– Raisins
Sources for vitamin C
– Bell peppers
– Berries
– Broccoli
– Cauliflower
– Citrus fruits
– Guava
– Melons
– Onion
– Pineapple
Combining foods that will increase the iron absorbed from what you eat. Here are a few ideas for iron-rich meals.
– Eating an orange with your breakfast cereal each morning, or top your cereal with sliced strawberries.
– Make a tuna salad using light canned tuna, kidney beans, a vegetable such as green onions or celery, and herbs such as parsley. Dress it with lemon juice and a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil.
– Choose lentils as a side dish for lean beef or poultry, or make a soup with lentils and shredded chicken or beef.
– Top a fresh spinach salad with sliced bell peppers, red onions, strawberries, and citrus vinaigrette.
– Eat tofu with a fresh broccoli salad, or follow it up with melon or pineapple for dessert.
Iron plays a role in the production of proteins responsible for oxygen transport in the body, and it is involved in cell growth and development. Many factors influence dietary iron need, but the NIH recommends that men aged 19 and older, and women aged 51 and older, get 8 mg of iron per day. Women aged 19 to 50 need 18 mg per day.
Ways to improve mineral absorbing capacity
Chew food without swallowing
Some of us have the tendency of consuming food without chewing. This we generally do as we hardly have time to have food properly. But this is totally a wrong step. The vitamins and minerals that is present in your food cannot be absorbed well. But if you chew your food really well and make it smaller pieces to digest, the absorbing capacity will be very well developed.
Apple cider vinegar
The capacity of digestion will be boosted with the sour food. Yes, you must have two spoons of apple cider vinegar everyday before meal. This will break down your meals in smaller parts and make proper absorptions of fats and proteins. Your digestive tract will be easily stimulated with the help of apple cider vinegar. Your body can easily develop a capacity of absorbing the minerals.
Digestive ingredients
It is really important to go ahead with cooking food with the help of digestive aid. The most important ingredients that aids digestion are herbs and spices. Most of the popular herbs that helps in making digestive system boosted are basil, rosemary, lavender and parsley. The spices also help in making digestion boosted. It include fennel, cinnamon, black pepper, cardamom etc.
Fermented food
Fermented food plays a wonderful role in make the minerals absorbed within the body of individuals. You can have the fermented food at home and enjoy its benefits. Some of the fermented foods include yogurt, fermented cereal , fermented rice etc.
