Iron · 120 capsules

What does the body need iron for?

Iron is an essential trace element that the body cannot produce itself. For this reason, iron must be supplied through food or in the form of supplements. Iron fulfills a whole range of vital tasks in the human body. Iron is an important component of haemoglobin, which is responsible for transporting oxygen from the lungs to the different types of tissue in the body (2). It is also responsible for the removal of carbon dioxide from the body's cells. Without sufficient amounts of iron, blood formation and consequently the body's oxygen supply is impaired (3). Furthermore, iron is a component of a large number of different enzymes that play an important role in the immune system in fighting infections and pathogens (4). Iron therefore contributes to the normal functioning of the immune system. For athletes, it should be of great interest that studies have shown that iron is needed to store oxygen in the muscles. There, iron contributes to normal energy metabolism. This plays a crucial role in muscle contractions during training (5). But this is not the only role that iron plays in energy metabolism in the body. Iron is also required for the transfer of electrons as part of energy metabol ism, which is a fundamental physical process without which the entire energy metabolism would not function. This conclusion has been reached by numerous studies carried out independently of each other (6,7,8). Iron also contributes to a reduction in tiredness and fatigue and to normal cognitive function.

What are the potential consequences of too little iron?

National studies have found that iron deficiency is not uncommon among those studied in Germany (10). Iron requirements naturally vary between individuals and studies have shown that they can be influenced by a variety of factors. These factors include things like blood loss (menstruation in women, blood donation, injuries), gastrointestinal diseases that reduce iron absorption, an increased need during pregnancy and increased iron loss in intensively training athletes. Researchers came to these conclusions when looking at the blood values of test subjects in various studies (11,12). Initial symptoms of iron deficiency observed in test subjects include chronic fatigue, weakness, reduced athletic performance, headaches, forgetfulness, gastrointestinal complaints, hair loss, dull hair, brittle nails, dizziness, pale skin and mucous membranes and increased susceptibility to infections due to impaired immune system function (13). In the case of advanced iron deficiency, anaemia and disturbances in the regulation of body temperature were observed in the people examined (14).

Which groups of people showed an increased iron requirement in studies?

In various studies,intensively training athletes showed a significantly increased iron requirement due to iron loss through sweat and other factors (15). The resulting iron deficiency is also known colloquially as "athlete's anemia", but should not be confused with true anemia. According to studies, 85% of all endurance athletes have hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, which are a marker for iron status, only in the lower normal range (16,17). Another group that has shown an increased iron requirement in scientific studies are premenopausal women (18). Due to the loss of blood during menstruation, the female body loses iron, which must be replenished externally. Pregnant women also showed a significantly higher iron requirement in studies compared to non-pregnant women (19). The last group that researchers found to have a particularly high need for iron were vegans and vegetarians. According to studies, the iron contained in plant-based foods is so-called non-heme iron. If the results of some studies are to be believed, this is absorbed by the body 4 to 5 times less effectively than the heme iron contained in meat. In addition, plant sources of iron often contain phytates and other compounds that can inhibit iron absorption (20).

Iron absorption in the body

Many foods contain ingredients that form poorly soluble compounds with iron or block iron absorption for other reasons. According to studies, these include phytates, polyphenols, phosphates and oxalic acid found in many plant-based foods such as spinach, soybeans and cocoa. But also the calcium contained in dairy products and the tannins contained in tea and coffee. Certain dietary fibers such as bran can also inhibit iron absorption (21). For this reason, iron has been taken as a supplement for a long time in order to effectively bypass the blocking effect of various foods (22). However, how well the iron can be absorbed by the body depends on the form of the active ingredient used. GN Laboratories only uses iron bisglycinate, which is particularly bioavailable (23). Iron also contains vitamin C. The vitamin was able to significantly improve the absorption of iron in the body in the subjects of some studies (24). Another aspect that can be beneficial for the absorption of iron is taking the supplement on an empty stomach (25).

Iron is an extremely important mineral that significantly influences a whole range of functions in the human body. As usual, GN Laboratories supplies the active ingredient in the best quality so that it can be optimally absorbed by the body. Iron from GN Laboratories - because in the end only results count.