Iron

Iron is a nutrient that plays an essential role in the transport of oxygen. It binds to hemoglobin, a special protein, and helps it transport red blood cells from your lungs to other tissues in your body (Abbaspour et al., 2014)
Iron is naturally present in the foods you eat, and there are two main types: heme iron and non-heme iron.

Iron supplements can help reverse low iron or treat iron deficiency anemia. They can show results faster than dietary interventions and are often considered the treatment method of choice.
These supplements may be particularly helpful in people who are prone to low iron levels, especially if they are unable to maintain good iron status through diet alone, including:
• Pregnant people
• Infants and young children
• People with heavy periods
• Frequent blood donors
• People with cancer
• People with gastrointestinal disorders, such as celiac disease, ulcerative colitis or Crohn’s disease
• People who have undergone gastric surgery
• People with heart failure
• People taking medicines that deplete iron, such as those used to reduce stomach acid
• People who do regular intense physical exercise
• People following a vegetarian or vegan diet
• People with blood disorders, such as thalassemia or sickle cell disease
• People suffering from alcoholism.
(Abbaspour et al., 2014; Office of Dietary Supplements – Iron, nd; Pawlak et al., 2016; Tran-Duy et al., 2019; Wouthuyzen-Bakker & van Assen, 2015)

It is also essential for brain cell development, physical growth and hormone synthesis, and it supports muscle metabolism (Iron – Health Professional Fact Sheet, nd)
Some populations may have insufficient iron intake, impaired absorption, or increased iron requirements. They are therefore at risk of suffering from iron deficiency, which can result in fatigue, dizziness and weakness, among other symptoms (Mao & Yao, 1992)
These populations typically include infants and children, athletes, people with heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnant women, people with gastrointestinal disorders intestinal (GI) or cancer, and people who donate blood frequently.

Although there are many products, Iron Bisglycinate is one of the best for fighting anemia, as the ferrous form of bisglycinate is a form of iron that is easy for your body to absorb and less likely to cause side effects. gastrointestinal side effects than other forms of iron, such as ferrous sulfate (Name et al., 2018; Tolkien et al., 2015, p.)
It is important to note that taking iron supplements when they are not needed can be detrimental to your health, especially because they generally contain high doses of iron, which can cause digestive problems and reduce the absorption of iron. other nutrients in your gut.
Unnecessary intake of these supplements can also cause cell damage and, in severe cases, lead to organ failure, coma, or death. Negative side effects can happen to anyone, but seem especially fatal in children.
Therefore, before taking iron supplements, always ask your healthcare professional to have your or your child’s iron status tested, and always follow your healthcare professional’s dosage recommendations.