What is iron?

Yg kedua, kita ambil tahu pulak pasal iron atau pun zat besi. basically, the above pster shared had written about why we need iron, fungsinya, what are the consequences of iron deficiency dan sumber2 iron. Iron is an essential nutrient that:

• carries oxygen and forms part of the oxygen-carrying proteins
• hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle
• a necessary component of various enzymes
• transport and storage of oxygen
• aid in energy production and cell diffusion
• helps the immune and central nervous systems

Quick Facts...

• A lack of iron in the diet may result in the development of iron deficiency anemia.
• The greatest need for iron is during growth or periods of blood loss.
• To ensure a diet adequate in iron: Eat a variety of iron-rich foods, eat foods high in vitamin C, and combine plant sources of iron with meat, fish and poultry.
• Iron absorption is affected by the iron status of the individual, the type of food eaten and vitamin C intake.
• Kekurangan zat besi ketika hamil boleh membawa kepada peningkatan risiko kelahiran pra-matang  dan berat kelahiran yang rendah.
• iron deficiency in toddler / young child is associated with behavioral abnormalities (such as reduced attention span) and reduced cognitive performance that may not be fully reversible by iron replacement.

Kekurangan zat besi adalah disebabkan oleh  

• pengambilan nutrien yang rendah;
• penyerapan zat besi yang lemah;
• kehilangan darah yang berlebihan.

Tanda-tanda anemia termasuklah:

• sentiasa berasa lemah dan letih
• perhatian span pendek
• cepat marah
• prestasi menurun di tempat kerja atau sekolah
• delay in cognitif development among baby and toddler 
• fungsi imun berkurangan membawa kepada penyakit meningkat
• lidah bengkak dan merah (glossitis) 
• kesukaran mengekalkan suhu badan. 

Mereka yang berpotensi mengalami kekurangan zat besi:

• Women who are menstruating, especially if they have heavy periods
• Women who are pregnant or who have just had a baby
• Long-distance runners
• Strict vegetarians
• People with any type of bleeding in the intestines (for example, a bleeding ulcer)
• People who frequently donate blood
• People with gastrointestinal conditions that make it hard to absorb nutrients from food

Penyerapan Zat Besi
Penyerapan zat besi dipengaruhi oleh status zat besi individu, jenis makanan yang dimakan, pengambilan vitamin C dan faktor-faktor lain dalam diet. Orang dengan simpanan zat besi yang rendah dalam badan akan menyerap lebih zat besi berbanding dengan mereka yang mempunyai kadar simpanan zat besi yang mencukupi. Ini adalah cara semulajadi tubuh badan manusia dalam mengekalkan jumlah zat besi yang mencukupi dan mengelakkan berlakunya ketoksikan zat besi. 

Beberapa cara untuk meningkatkan kadar penyerapan zat besi. Salah satu daripadanya ialah dengan mengambil makanan yang kaya dengan Vitamin C dalam diet. Untuk lebih keberkesanan, makanan tersebut mestilah diambil dalam meal yang sama as the iron source. Good sources of vitamin C include citrus fruits and juices, tomatoes, strawberries, melons, dark green leafy vegetables and potatoes. 


Kaedah lain untuk meningkatkan penyerapan non-heme iron ialah dengan mengambil a source of heme iron (meat) with the meal. Not only will more total iron be eaten, but the percentage of non-heme iron that is absorbed will be greater. Apa itu heme dan non-heme iron? The iron in meat is about 40 percent heme and 60 percent non-heme. Much of the iron in the diet, however, is in the non-heme form. This is the form found in plant sources such as fruits, vegetables, grain products, and in iron fortified foods. About 25 percent to 35 percent of heme iron is absorbed, yet this percentage drops to 3 percent for non-heme iron. This difference is important because heme iron is found only in animal flesh. Vegetarians in particular need to be aware of the low absorption of non-heme iron.

Pengambilan teh dan kopi semasa makan akan menyebabkan pengurangan kadar penyerapan zat besi yang signifikan. Tea can cause iron absorption to drop by 60 percent and coffee can cause a 50 percent decrease in iron uptake. The tannins in both tea and coffee adversely affect iron availability. Phytates in some legumes and grains, phosphates in cola drinks, some proteins in soybeans, and possibly calcium and fiber may interfere with iron absorption. These may be important factors if the diet already is low in iron.

Vitamin A membantu dalam meleraikan simpanan zat besi dalam badan dan menjadikan ia lebih mudah digunakan oleh badan. Kekurangan Vitamin A boleh menyebabkan kekurangan zat besi. The use of vitamin A and iron supplementation may help relieve iron deficiency more than iron alone. It is important that anyone who is concerned about an iron deficiency to talk to a doctor before beginning supplementation.

Food Sources

The best sources of iron include:

• Dried beans
• Dried fruits
• Eggs (especially egg yolks)
• Iron-fortified cereals
• Liver
• Lean red meat (especially beef)
• Oysters
• Poultry, dark red meat
• Salmon
• Tuna
• Whole grains

Reasonable amounts of iron juga wujud dalam daging merah dan hidupan bercengkarang. Iron from vegetables, fruits, grains, and supplements is harder for the body to absorb.

These sources include:

• Dried fruits
  • prunes
  • raisins
  • apricots
• Legumes
  • lima beans
  • soybeans
  • dried beans and peas
  • kidney beans
• Seeds
  • almonds
  • Brazil nuts
• Vegetables
  • broccoli
  • spinach
  • kale
  • collards
  • asparagus
  • dandelion greens
• Whole grains
  • wheat
  • millet
  • oats
  • brown rice

If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.

Bagi saya, biarlah zat n nutrien yang kita ambil ni dalam bentuk alami, natural kata org kampung saya. REAL FOOD as synthetic nutrient won't be exactly to the natural one. Untuk pengambilan yang lebih efisien, penyerapan zat besi paling maksimum boleh dicapai jika hidangan disekalikan dengan vitamin c.

Kalau terlebih zat besi?

The genetic disorder called hemochromatosis affects the body's ability to control how much iron is absorbed. This leads to too much iron in the body. Treatment consists of a low-iron diet, no iron supplements, and phlebotomy (blood removal) on a regular basis.
It is unlikely that a person would take too much iron. However, children can sometimes develop iron poisoning by swallowing too many iron supplements. Symptoms of iron poisoning include:

• Fatigue
• Anorexia
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Headache
• Weight loss
• Shortness of breath
• Grayish color to the skin

Recommendations

The Food and Nutrition Board at the Institute of Medicine recommends the following:
Infants and children

• Younger than 6 months: 0.27 milligrams per day (mg/day)
• 7 months to 1 year: 11 mg/day
• 1 to 3 years: 7 mg/day
• 4 to 8 years: 10 mg/day

Males

• 9 to 13 years: 8 mg/day
• 14 to 18 years: 11 mg/day
• Age 19 and older: 8 mg/day

Females

• 9 to 13 years: 8 mg/day
• 14 to 18 years: 15 mg/day
• 19 to 50 years: 18 mg/day
• 51 and older: 8 mg/day

Women who are pregnant or producing breast milk may need different amounts of iron. Ask your health care provider what is appropriate for you.

internet source:
http://www.nutrimirror.com/nutrition-nutrients/iron
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/foodnut/09356.html
http://www.mamashealth.com/nutrition/iron.asp
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/nutrition/iron-in-diet/overview.html