Red Blood Cell and E.g. Sickle-cell Anemia Essay

Iron is a mineral found in the human body. It is a part of the protein hemoglobin of a cell, which transports oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies.

Iron Deficiency Anemia affects millions of individuals across the world. This disease strikes many more women than men and has harmful effects on all who suffer from this deficiency that causes oxygen-carrying capacity to decrease. The causes can vary amongst different groups, but the aggravating symptoms remain constant. Much of the research on Iron Deficiency Anemia concentrates on not only the treatment of this disease, but also the prevention of it. To attain a better understanding of how to treat this problem, one must clearly know what Iron Deficiency Anemia means, what causes this disease, the effects of it, and finally how to cure it.

Hemochromatosis is a genetic disease in which there is too much iron that builds up in your body, this is referred to as an iron overload. Iron is an essential nutrient found in many foods but can be toxic to our bodies if we have to much. “Normally, humans absorb about 8-10% of the iron found in foods that they eat.” People with Hemochromatosis can absorb up to four times more iron than a normal human being. Since our bodies have no natural way to get rid of the extra iron, it gets stored in your body tissue including the liver, heart, pancreas and many other areas of our body can also be infected by this iron overload.

Take hemochromatosis, a hereditary condition that causes iron to accumulate in a person's body. A person having hemochromatosis

Iron deficiency anemia, one of the most common types of anemia, is a blood disorder where

Hemochromatosis is a deadly disease in which the body believes that it never has enough iron. The body, as a result is that iron is not filtered out through the intestines, it is always entering the body. This iron runs out of places to be stored, and is spread throughout the body. These iron stores eventually end up changing the body and causing damage to major organs and joints. Hemochromatosis can lead to cancer, heart failure, and a plethora of other problems.

Iron is one of the important minerals that is required for our bodies to function properly. Most of the iron in our body is found in the blood such as haemoglobin, approximately 60 -70% of the human body’s iron is found in the haemoglobin, a protein in the blood that transports oxygen. Iron is also present in muscle tissue and some enzymes. There are two types of iron in the body which are “Heme Iron” from animal products and “Non-Heme Iron” vegetables and

Iron is an important nutrient because it helps carry oxygen in the hemoglobin in red blood cells around the human body. When a healthy iron supply is reached, the body immediately stops absorbing the nutrient, and just lets it past through the digestive system. However, people with hemochromatosis absorb all the iron from the food consumed, past healthy levels.­­­­­­ All the extra iron spreads throughout the body, and unevitably causes great damage to major organs and almost all other parts of the body. According to Survival of the Sickest, "hemochromatosis can lead to liver failure, heart failure, diabetes, arthritis, infertility, psychiatric disorders,... cancer," and other diseases if left untreated (Maulem

In previous studies, it has also been seen that overweight or obese individuals are at greater risk of iron deficiency than normal weight individuals. Some studies suggest that possible explanations for this poor dietary iron intake, is increased iron requirements and/or impaired iron absorption. Nutrient Metabolism and Cardiovascular Diseases (2015), concluded that a calorie reduced diet causes the BMI to decrease however, their data showed that ferritin increases with BMI. The American journal of pathology (2013), demonstrated a model of iron overload syndrome in which an iron enriched diet induces insulin resistance, hyperglycemia and visceral adipose tissue. These contradictions causes us to question if iron plays a role in obesity and obesity related insulin resistance. Turk J Haematol (2014), scientists wanted to assess whether dietary iron overload influenced glucose and lipid metabolism as well as insulin resistance in mice, and found that a more iron enriched diet increases serum and hepatic iron while lowering IRP binding activity.

Maintaining a healthy and balanced diet is key to my success as a runner. I have to not only fuel my body the right foods, but also at the right time and amount. When fueling for my workouts, timing is everything. Before my runs, I want to have something that will give me a boost of energy without leaving me with an upset stomach. I have to be especially cautious with my food choice as I have a problem with getting an upset stomach and this can completely destroy my session. Through experience in running, I have also learned about a big problem that middle distance female runners encounter which is iron deficiencies. We have such a high prevalence of the deficiency because you lose iron through sweat when running, through burst blood vessels in your feet when you run called foot strike homolysis and because female runners lose iron during menstruation.

In the beginning of every cross country season, my coach stressed the importance that all the female runners must take one iron pill a day. I never gave in to this because he never gave us an explanation, so I saw this as merely a mental booster rather than actual improvement present in my body. After doing some research, I found out that iron is an essential nutrient used by the human body for to transport oxygen and produce energy. Iron is present in every single cell of the body and carries oxygen from the lungs to the tissue in the form of hemoglobin, which is the oxygen-transport protein in red blood cells. Lack of iron results in both fatigue and weakness, which is definitely harmful to a cross country runner. Iron deficiency affects women about 8-10 times more than men, which is why it is crucial for women runners to watch their iron levels (Sinclair, Hinton). If iron deficiency worsens, it can lead to anemia. Anemia is when you do not have enough red blood cells, and as a result, less hemoglobin. If a cross country runner has anemia, it can affect their whole season because they are exerting energy without the sufficient amount of oxygen needed to complete each run or workout.

Foods that are rich in iron are “meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy products, green, leafy vegetables [and] dried fruit” (Peterson, 2012). In addition, an anemic person should decrease the amounts of coffee and tea consumed since they interfere with adequate iron absorption. Instead foods and beverages high in vitamin C should be consume since they aid in iron absorption (Peterson, 2012). In rare cases iron can be given intravenously but can potentially produce serious allergic reactions as a side effect (Microcytic Anemia,

Conferring to the case study 1 of Ms. A, who is suffering from iron deficiency anemia. “People who experience iron deficiency anemia lack adequate iron required to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin supports red blood cells in carrying oxygen all through the body” (Mayo Clinic, 2014). In this presentation, the writer will provide rationales where Ms. A is presenting signs and symptoms of Iron Deficiency Anemia.

Essential for the production of haemoglobin, enzymes and transporting blood around the body, per calorie, kale Kale has more iron than

The next section is Meat, fish and alternatives. A main source of iron is found in these foods. Iron is an important mineral, which is essential in keeping the body healthy. It is necessary for the dancer for maximum energy and peak performance. A lack of iron can leave you feeling tired and prone to infections. If the condition gets worse, more dramatic symptoms may develop such as severe fatigue, cramps, headaches, shortness of breath, poor stamina and feeling the cold more than usual. Therefore it is vital that dancers consume about 12% meat, fish and alternatives on a regular basis to make sure that they have full energy to dance and they don’t fall ill. Lean red meat is the best source of iron because it has 'haem' iron in it, which is well absorbed by the body. Red meat has double the iron as chicken and three times as much iron as fish. Generally, the darker the colour of the meat the more iron it contains and the more energy is provides.