Did you know iron is required for roughly 200 biochemical reactions in the body!? —— Iron is mineral required for the production of hemoglobin (which carries oxygen from our lungs to our cells) as well as red blood cell production, immune support, energy production and oxygen transport, in fact, a heme molecule is at the center of every red blood cell —— Vegetarians/vegans, menstruating and pregnant women, athletes, adolescents and those with poor gut health (as well as those taking birth control, OTC and anti-inflams like Advil and even anti-acids) are at an increased need for iron ——- We must be careful when it comes to trying to supplement with iron, as too much iron can actually act as a pro-oxidant in the body (but it also helps to combat free radicals, so as always, balance is key) .... so let’s start with the diet —— Various factors can influence iron status in the body, such as the amount and type of iron in the diet and how much is actually be absorbed in the small intestines (stomach pH also needs to be around 1-2) —- Your body also absorbs iron based on how much you already have (generally if you have lower stores you will absorb more) —— We have 2 types of iron: heme and non-heme ——- Heme iron- found mostly in animal sources and is better absorbed (beef, chicken, fish, liver etc); the body absorbs roughly 15-35% of heme iron ——— Non heme iron- found mostly in veggies, grains and nuts and is less well absorbed; the body absorbs roughly 2-20% of non heme iron —- #briannaapproved #iron #meat #heme #nonheme #minerals #vitamins #grassfedsteak #protein #meathead #energy #redbloodcellhealth #oxygen #grassfed #pastureraised #organic (at Vitality Works) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0imisMghO8/?igshid=1dk2335s5szwl