Iron how does it help your body

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Advertisement Advertisement. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. New York, N. Accessed Oct. Schrier SL, et al. Treatment of iron deficiency anemia in adults. Iron-deficiency anemia. American Society of Hematology.

Vitamin C: Fact sheet for health professionals. What is iron-deficiency anemia? National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Approach to the adult patient with anemia. Mahoney DH, et al. Iron deficiency in infants and young children: Treatment. Iron: Fact sheet for health professionals. CBC with differential, blood. Iron is found naturally in many foods and is added to some fortified food products. You can get recommended amounts of iron by eating a variety of foods, including the following:.

Iron in food comes in two forms: heme iron and nonheme iron. Nonheme iron is found in plant foods and iron-fortified food products. Meat, seafood, and poultry have both heme and nonheme iron.

Your body absorbs iron from plant sources better when you eat it with meat, poultry, seafood, and foods that contain vitamin C , such as citrus fruits, strawberries, sweet peppers, tomatoes, and broccoli. Iron is available in many multivitamin-mineral supplements and in supplements that contain only iron. Iron in supplements is often in the form of ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate, ferric citrate, or ferric sulfate.

Dietary supplements that contain iron have a statement on the label warning that they should be kept out of the reach of children. Accidental overdose of iron-containing products is a leading cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6.

Most people in the United States get enough iron. However, certain groups of people are more likely than others to have trouble getting enough iron:. In the short term, getting too little iron does not cause obvious symptoms. The body uses its stored iron in the muscles, liver, spleen, and bone marrow.

But when levels of iron stored in the body become low, iron deficiency anemia sets in. Red blood cells become smaller and contain less hemoglobin. As a result, blood carries less oxygen from the lungs throughout the body. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include GI upset, weakness, tiredness, lack of energy, and problems with concentration and memory.

In addition, people with iron deficiency anemia are less able to fight off germs and infections , to work and exercise, and to control their body temperature. Infants and children with iron deficiency anemia might develop learning difficulties. Resources Find an Expert. For You Children Patient Handouts. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Start Here. Diagnosis and Tests. Statistics and Research. Clinical Trials.