IRON

A mineral that is essential not only to good health but also to life itself. Iron is part of the chemical makeup of several vital enzymes and proteins.

Function

It plays a major role in energy metabolism. The bulk of the iron in the human body is in the red blood cells' hemoglobin; in fact, it is what makes blood red. Hemoglobin shuttles oxygen from the lungs to every body cell, and without iron, hemoglobin cannot do its job. Iron deficiency leads to anaemia.

Sources

It is present in liver, beef, eggs, molasses (especially blackstrap), calf's liver, dried beans, dried prunes and prune juice, iron-fortified cereals, whole-wheat and enriched bread, meat and poultry, broccoli, beet greens, kale and, yes, Popeye's spinach.

Precautions

If the body is to absorb iron properly, it needs vitamin C. Certain other compounds block the body's ability to absorb iron: antacids, dietary fibre, coffee, tea, phosphates salts such as calcium phosphate, and phytates (substances found in whole grains and soy products).