Iron And Iron Deficiency
Iron is essential for the delivery of oxygen throughout the body. Oxygen is needed to produce ATP, the energy currency of the body.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency globally.
Iron can be consumed in two forms: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is the one that is easily absorbed while the latter is not.
Animal based foods are rich sources of heme iron while plant-based foods are rich sources of non-heme iron.
Vegetarians avoid animal-based products and solely eat plant-based. This means they are more prone to develop iron deficiency. However, vegetarians can eat plant-based and still get the required iron. The key is eating iron rich plant-based foods and avoiding foods that impair absorption of iron and at the same time eating foods that enhance it.
Foods Loaded With Iron
- Fortified breakfast cereals: these are the best source of iron for vegetarians out there. Containing on average about 50% of the daily requirement, it would be foolish to not start your day with these.
- Legumes, beans, and chickpea: these plant-based foods are rich in iron along with being rich in Fiber, protein and nutritious vitamins and minerals.
- Tofu: 100g of tofu contains around 5.4 mg of iron, making it one of the best.
- Vegetables: green leafy vegetables are a rich source of iron. Make sure to get your hands on spinach, asparagus, green collards, and beetroots.
- Fruits: these are also a remarkable iron rich food like apples, watermelon, dried apricots and more.
- Seeds: one of the most nutritious foods to exist, sesame, pumpkin and sunflower seeds are loaded with iron.
- Nuts: nuts like cashews, pine nuts and hazelnuts also provide you with a reasonable amount of iron.
what to avoid and what not to
Eating foods rich in vitamin C (oranges, strawberries, kiwi, tomatoes, capsicum, and broccoli) helps make the non-heme iron more absorbable.
Certain foods like tannins (present in peppermint and herbal tea), calcium and zinc impair iron absorption. So, it is wise to not take calcium supplements while eating iron rich foods. Also, avoid overdosing on zinc supplements.
Iron Deficiency And Erectile Dysfunction
Erectile dysfunction is one of the most common disorders in men. It is when the penis fails to sustain erection long enough for intercourse to occur. Statistics show that every 1 in 10 men suffers from some level of ED. There are several causes of ED, the most common of which are:
- Heart diseases like heart attacks and heart failure
- Psychological issues like stress and anxiety
- Neurological disorders
- Unhealthy diet
As mentioned above, the oxygen carrying capacity of the blood is determined mainly by sufficient iron levels, lack of iron means the body is unable to transport oxygen effectively. This means the reproductive organs are deprived of oxygen rich blood which leads to their dysfunctional functioning. Erectile dysfunction comes under this too. Lack of iron means the penis does not get enough oxygen to sustain an erection. Therefore, it is of supreme importance that iron is consumed in enough amounts daily.
The gold standard treatment option for ED remains oral drugs. These drugs are sildenafil (sildenafil oral jelly 100mg kamagra also available), tadalafil, vardenafil, and avanafil. these drugs increase the levels of nitric oxide in the blood which is a great arterial vasodilator. Dilating the arterioles, it makes sure that the penile arterioles dilate effectively to sustain erection. You can order these drugs online in Australia. Click here: Oz meds online to get the best ED drugs at affordable prices!
It is of utmost importance that everyone of us takes decent amount of iron in our diet to combat this worldwide nutrient deficiency.