Most people know the place of iron in red blood cells and its importance for oxygen transport. But why do we need functional copper together with iron? And how can one have an apparently adequate amount of iron in the blood but at the same time too much or too little of it in the tissues? Here we dive deeply into how iron in different places in the body performs its tasks and interacts with other minerals and nutrients.
Iron is required for life and energy
Iron is one of the most abundant metals on earth and in the body. Iron literally gives us life. Iron sits inside hemoglobin, whose task is to deliver oxygen to the tissues.
Iron is part of the energy production inside every cell (except in the red blood cells, they are busy with oxygen transport).
Copper is required for iron to work well in the body
Iron needs to be balanced by copper in order not to become a burden due to its strong oxidative capacity. Therefore, it is not good to take iron supplements - especially not synthetic/metallic supplements - without knowing if it is really needed.
Copper enzymes ensure that the oxidative potential of the iron is kept in check, that the iron is in good condition and ready to be reused in the body.
Too much iron or too little?
But where is the iron in the body and how is it handled?
Bacterial infections require iron - as we wrote about here , and the body then binds iron to hide it.
In chronic infections, excess iron can over time be stored in tissues such as joints and cartilage, which causes pain, stiffness and increased inflammation.
If the body does not have the ability to reuse its iron for the new formation of red blood cells, storage may eventually produce the same effects as with iron deficiency; fatigue, heavy breathing on exertion and more.
- Having too few digestive enzymes can contribute to an excessive absorption of iron.
- Liver disease and alcohol intake can contribute to iron overload.
Iron and mental health
Iron deficiency also affects the oxygen supply to the brain. This can be a contributing factor to attention disorders, hyperactivity and cognitive difficulties. It can also cause depression, fatigue and headaches.
- Iron is required for the nervous system and regulation of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine.
- A good iron balance and iron availability is required for the functioning of the immune system, the thyroid gland and the adrenal glands.
Children and iron
Iron supplements in semi-finished products for children show the importance of iron for normal development. But why does food need additives?
Reasons for many children's too low iron values can be
- early cutting of the umbilical cord at birth
- the mother's lack of sufficient heme iron and its co-factors during pregnancy and lactation
- a diet poor in readily absorbable iron when the baby starts eating after breastfeeding.
Fortunately, many maternity wards have started to implement so-called late declawing, i.e. to wait a while to cut the umbilical cord. As long as the umbilical cord is taut, blue/red or pulsating, blood and thus oxygen is transferred to the baby. If the umbilical cord is cut prematurely – before it has fully pulsated and is white and limp – the baby can lose as much as 30 percent of its blood before the placenta has fully emptied. It can take two minutes or 30, it's not the clock that decides but how the string looks and feels.
Starting life without so much of its blood means that the child both gets poorer oxygen transport and loses important stem cells from the placenta that are important for the immune system even later in life.
If the baby has any breathing difficulties, it is even more important that the umbilical cord is allowed to pulse clearly, this can prevent a lack of oxygen before breathing has started.
Iron in the diet
Heme iron found in animal protein is unmatched in terms of bioavailability. Iron in meat and especially offal is also rich in the co-factors that are necessary for healthy iron handling: vitamin A, copper, zinc, B vitamins.
Supply of good quality vitamin E can be valuable if you have excessive iron storage or oxidative processes.
RCP is a protocol that has become increasingly known for optimizing, among other things, iron handling and energy in the body.
