That may come as a surprise. After all,
we’ve been told for so long that iron is only
conditionally necessary. Basically, that it’s
fine if you’re pregnant or menstruating, or
maybe a professional athlete, but other than
that we should leave it alone. That’s just not
true.
Iron is a critical component of hemo-
globin, the protein carried by red blood
cells that delivers oxygen throughout the
body for energy. We couldn’t live without
it. And yet, iron deficiency and anemia is
one of the world’s most common conditions.
For athletes and anyone with an active life,
the need for iron is even greater. Aside from
hemoglobin, iron is a requirement for eryth-
ropoietin (EPO) production, a hormone
needed by the body that also helps make
energizing red blood cells.
Iron is the link in the way we sustain
physical activity and energy. In some cases,
professional athletes have injected EPO in
order to boost performance and endurance.
But there’s no need to take such drastic,
potentially dangerous, (and probably illegal)
measures. The highly-absorbable iron and
other key minerals that I recommend help
the body produce this hormone naturally.
Iron is an essential trace mineral
that helps transport oxygen in the blood,
support cellular energy creation, and
support proper neurotransmitter synthesis.
Studies have shown that children, women
and men require this essential mineral to
create healthy red blood cells, build muscle
tone, and keep energy levels going strong.
In some cases, the need for iron is very
strong. In fact, women who are pregnant
require almost twice the recommended
amount of iron per day! For men, women,
and children, the dosages vary depending
on age, but for men, the recommended level
of iron is 8 mg; for women of childbearing
age, up to 18 mg; and for children, up to 10
mg daily. However, those recommendations
are often not met. And everybody who is
active– or wants to be more so – needs this
mineral -- most likely in higher amounts. In
fact, people who exercise intensively may
have a 30% greater need for iron.
On average, an adult loses one milli-
gram of iron per day, and during exercise,
people can lose that much in their sweat in
one workout.
Some of our foods – coffee, tea, wine,
fiber, and calcium – can inhibit iron absorp-
tion. And NSAIDs (non-steroidal anti-in-
flammatory drugs) can boost your need for
iron, too. Considering that many people
still use these potentially-dangerous pain-re-
lievers, it would be no surprise if they were
low in iron as well – especially if they are
active.
The iron I recommend is a glycinate
chelated form. Why chelated? Because
minerals can be difficult for the body to
absorb and use efficiently. A “chelate” is
a bond between a mineral (often called
“inorganic”) and an organic molecule struc-
ture, called a “ligand” that helps the body
absorb the mineral during digestion. The
amino acid glycine is an excellent “shep-
herd” of minerals through the intestinal
wall, because this form can be transported
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