Iron (Ferrous Sulfate)

This mineral provides essential nutrients needed by the body to produce red blood cells. It is used to treat or prevent iron-deficiency anemia, a condition that occurs when the body has too few red blood cells because of pregnancy, poor diet, excess bleeding, or other medical problems.

Function

This trace element is an essential constituent of hemoglobin and myoglobin, two proteins that store and transport oxygen. This mineral is required for the formation of haemoglobin in red blood cells. Iron is also required for normal energy metabolism, and for metabolism of drugs and foreign substances that need to be removed from the body. The immune system also requires this trace element for normal function. This mineral is also part of various enzymes. Myoglobin (myo = muscle) is in muscle tissue.

Food Sources

Your best food sources of this mineral are organ meats (liver, heart, kidneys), red meat, egg yolks, wheat germ, and oysters. These foods contain heme (heme = blood) iron, a form of this mineral that your body can easily absorb.

Whole grains, wheat germ, raisins, nuts, seed, prunes and prune juice, and potato skins contain nonheme iron. Because plants contain substances called phytates, which bind this this mineral into compounds, your body has a hard time getting at this mineral. Eating plant foods with meat or with foods that are rich in vitamin C (like tomatoes) increases your ability to split away the phytates and get this trace element out of plant foods.

Fish, meat (especially liver), and fortified cereals and breads are good dietary sources of this mineral; emphasize them in a well-balanced diet.

Side Effects

A lack of this mineral leads to low stores of this mineral in the body and eventually to iron deficiency anaemia. Loss of blood due to injury or large menstrual losses increases this trace element´s requirements. Women of child bearing age and teenage girls, in particular, need to ensure their diet supplies enough of this trace mineral as their requirements are higher than those of men of the same age.

Although symptoms of this mineral´s deficiency usually improve within a few days, you may have to take ferrous sulfate for 6 months if you have severe deficiency of this mineral.

Keep all appointments with your doctor and the laboratory. Your doctor will order certain lab tests to check your response to ferrous sulfate.

Do not let anyone else take your medication. Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about refilling your prescription.

It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription (over-the-counter) medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.

			topic: Iron