GEM GLOSSARY: IRON
IRON: The Essential Mineral
We created GEM for every lifestyle and diet choice--from carnivore to vegan eaters and dairy-free to ice cream lovers. We don’t believe your diet choices should negatively affect how you get the essential nutrients you need day-to-day. We made sure iron was in GEM, because we’ve researched and found that about half of the 1.62 billion cases of anemia around the world are due to iron deficiencies.
WHY DO WE NEED IRON? 📝
Iron is an essential component of:
- Hemoglobin; a protein that transfers oxygen from the lungs to the tissues in our bodies
- Myoglobin; a protein that provides oxygen to muscles
- Metabolism
- Growth, development, normal cellular functioning and synthesis of hormones
SOURCES 🌎
Iron is typically found in meat, fish, and poultry food products, such as (1):
- Red meats, chicken and seafood
- Nuts, beans, vegetables, and fortified grains
- In the US, about half of the dietary iron comes from bread, cereal, and other grain products
Where do we get our iron? 🌿
Here at GEM, we source our iron from curry leaves, a vegan, gluten, dairy, corn, and soy-free ingredient, which allows all diets to enjoy freely! Our curry leaves are sustainably harvested in India by Orgenetics, a California-based company. Curry leaves are not only rich in iron, but also contain vitamins A, B2, C, and calcium. The main complaint with synthetic iron supplementation is upset stomachs. The co-factors and co-nutrients (like antioxidants) of the organic curry leaves help to minimize stomach irritation.
BENEFITS 👍
Vegan and Vegetarian Eaters 🌱
A study found that people eating a plant-based diet are more prone to deficiencies and must add supplementation into their diets to reach adequate levels of iron nutrients. The recommended daily intake of iron is 1.8 times higher for vegan and vegetarian eaters than those who eat meat. One study found that young women adhering to a vegan diet should monitor their iron status and to avoid deficiency, consider taking an added supplement (2). (Enter GEM!)
Women’s Health 👸
It’s no secret women are more commonly deficient in iron, GEM provides just enough to fill in the gap so women have the boost they need to feel good every day. Research has shown that pregnant women, young children, and women with heavy menstrual bleeding are prone to deficiencies. One study found that women experiencing heavy menstrual bleeding need an extra boost of iron to make up for the blood lost (3). Of the 44 women participating, 68.2% were deficient and 18.2% were anemic. Women are high contenders for iron deficiency and anemia, so an extra boost of iron from GEM vitamins can ensure they are meeting their daily recommended intake levels.
Pregnant and lactating women are also contenders for deficiency. Another study found that most pregnant women were not receiving adequate amounts of iron, despite eating an iron-rich diet (4). This suggests that pregnant women need an extra boost of iron to help support child growth, reach healthy weight gains and post-delivery feeding. While we want all women to enjoy GEM, we always suggest you run GEM by your healthcare provider if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Ultimately, your health is our first priority!
Learn more about Iron in our Research Library!
Sources:
1. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4983800/
This article is based on scientific research and/or other scientific articles and contains trusted sources. Our goal at GEM is to give readers up-to-date and objective information on health-related topics. GEM content is written by experienced health and lifestyle contributors and articles undergo an extensive review process. All references are hyperlinked at the end of the article to take readers directly to the source.