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Iron is of great importance in human nutrition for healthy blood and vitality. Though it is considered as a trace element, it is responsible for oxygen transport and cellular respiration.
Iron is found in the body

1) as iron porphyrins in haemoglobin, myoglobin

2) as iron enzymes in catalase, cytochrome and peroxidases.

3) as non-iron porphyrins in transferring, ferritin and haemosiderin. The iron content of the body is controlled by its absorption and not by excretion.

The total daily iron loss of an adult is less than 1 mg. During menstruation, the average loss is further 1 mg per day. It is excreted only in traces in urine, bile and faeces. The urinary loss is about 0.2 mg per day and adult. Iron loss occurs due to loss of blood in haemorrhage, loss integumental tissues, during menstrual period, and pregnance/labour. When red blood cells are broken down, the liberated iron is not excreted, but is reutilized in the formation of new red cells.

Whole blood contains about 45-50 mg of iron per 100 ml. All the red cells contain a total quantity of about 3 gm of iron. The rest of the body contains another 1-3 gm of iron. Iron is present in blood in two forms;1) as Plasma iron in the transport form-transferrin. It is in traces (0.10 mg per 100 ml) and keeps fluctuating inversely with decreased/increased rate of red cell information in aplastic/pernicious anaemias respectively.2) as Haemoglobin Iron which is about 50 mg of inorganic iron per 100 ml of blood, that accounts for 92-98% of total iron in blood.

Recommended Daily Allowance: The RDA of 1.0 mg/kg for infants, 20 mg for children, 25 mg for boys, 35 mg for girls, 24 mg for adult men, 32 mg during lactation is suggested. Normal diet provides required need. Adolescent boys/girls, and women during pregnancy and lactation need more of it. Infant lack in it as milk is deficient in Iorn, and foetal liver storage finishes in first 3 months. The body does not produce iorn; it absorbs iron from the food one eats. So the diet is a crucial factor.

Overload of iron occurs when the body can’t get rid of the mineral properly. Iron deficiency brings tiredness, but fatigue is also a common symptom to too much iron. Unchecked it can be responsible for diseases like arthritis. Too much of Iron will give you nausea, cause abdominal pain, constipation, and a damage to liver and heart. It can be toxic in excess, and can lead to cancer (due to cell damage), and heart attack, especially if your LDL level is high. This happens because iron with the help of oxygen oxidizes LDL (already in high level) to clog the arteries. Antioxidants play a role in preventing the disease. Since the need differs with age and gender, always check for iron in multivitamin tablet you take, and look for required mg of ferrous fumarate/sulphate, which is better absorbed.

Dietary Sources: All wholegrain cereals, pulses, legumes, jaggery, fish, and animal foods like egg, liver, meat etc. (except milk, butter), and vegetables like dry lotus stem, cauliflower greens, turnip greens, lentils, peas, green leafy ones and fruits like black currants, water melons, raisins, dried dates are good sources of Iron. The assimilation of iron in the body requires enzymes and gastric acids, for which iron-containing fruits which has own enzymes and acids be encouraged specially for elderly people. The bioavailability of iron in plant foods is low owing to the presence of phytates and oxalates, which interfere with iron absorption. Significant amounts of iron may be derived from cooking in iron vessels.

The iron in the diet is of two types. Heme iron present in red meat, fish and poultry is absorbed better (15-20%) and non-heme iron found in cereals, vegetables, dals, nuts and eggs (1.5%) is said to be absorbed poorly. One needs a lot of vitamin C to counter this. Just add a few drops of lime on leafy vegetables or a glass of orange juice after a meal. The surplus Heme iron when stored in body is more harmful (with higher risk of heart attacks) than a non-Heme iron.

Whole-wheat flour chapatti is better than white flour bread or rice based diet for iron nourishment. Additives in soft drinks are known to be inhibitors or iron absorption. When tea is taken with a meal, it may depress the absorption of iron by as much as 75%. The body has to use its natural resources in trying to throw out the low quality of processed, junk/fast food, cold drinks that we keep consuming. Don’t take iron along with a calcium supplement as it interferes with iron absorption. Know more about Iron Daily Requirements and its Sources

By: Dr John Anne

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Breast calcifications are calcium deposits inside breast tissue. They emerge as white spots or flecks on a mammogram and are typically so small that you couldn’t feel them.

Breast calcifications are widespread in all women and are even more common after menopause. Though breast calcifications are typically noncancerous (benign), particular patterns of calcifications – like tight clusters with irregular shapes – might point to breast cancer.

The two major kinds of breast calcifications are:

- Macrocalcifications. They come out as large white dots or dashes on a mammogram. Macrocalcifications are nearly always noncancerous and need no additional follow-up.
- Microcalcifications. They come out as extremely fine white specks on a mammogram. Microcalcifications are typically noncancerous but could sometimes be a sign of cancer.

Where and How Often Do Calcifications come out?

- macrocalcifications show up in roughly 50 percent of women over 50, and 10 percent of women under 50 years of age
- macrocalcifications are typically not troublesome and won’t need a biopsy
- 80 percent of microcalcifications are benign
- microcalcifications could assist identify ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)

A microcalcification is an increase of calcium in one spot. They are widespread and most women will have a few on their mammogram at some point in time. The majority of them are benign. A good number of women do worry regarding them, though – maybe since they haven’t been given a complete clarification of what they are.

When should you worry? First, don’t be frightened if you have microcalcifications since the majority women DO have them at some point. The doctor will take a look to observe if they warrant additional examination.

This typically happens when the microcalcifications are new, clustered firmly together, and comes out when magnified to have unusual forms. Rather than spherical, they look similar to grains of salt with irregular edges. This could be an early sign of breast cancer, most frequently non-invasive ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS or stage 0 breast cancer).

Microcalcifications couldn’t be experienced on clinical exam or your own breast self-exam. They do not harm. This is the value of mammography – it finds them long prior to they could move forward into an actual lump.

Most of the time, suspicious microcalcifications will be biopsied by means of a stereotactic method that enables the doctor to pin down their location and take away a sample consequently it could be examined by a pathologist. The intention of removing tissue by means of this method is not to get rid of all of the microcalcifications but to obtain a representative sampling accordingly a diagnosis could be completed.

By: MC Ezzia

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Eating vegetables is good for you. But the way you prepare them can destroy most of the nutrients your body craves. Some vitamins and minerals can be sensitive to heat from cooking. Microwaving is not the preferred method as it has not yet been determined how microwaving effects nutrients.

Carrots: Steam carrots. Studies have shown that cooked carrots have higher antioxidant levels than raw carrots. Steaming them for five minutes or less will supply you with that vitamin A and beta-carotene, both good for your vision.

Green Beans: Steam green beans. Keep green beans colorful and antioxidant rich by steaming them for up to five minutes. Riboflavin (vitamin B2) which helps your body produce energy, is light sensitive, so cover the pot when steaming. Steaming them too long will cause them to be limp and not very flavorful, plus some of the nutrients will be lost.

Cauliflower: Saute cauliflower. Suggestion – saute the florets in vegetable or chicken broth for up to five minutes.

Corn: Steaming corn is the preferred method for delicious, healthy corn. Many people have a tendency to overcook corn or corn on the cob. Five minutes is perfect.

Broccoli: Steam broccoli. Steaming broccoli for under five minutes will preserve the antioxidants that protect heart disease and cancer.

Spinach: Boil spinach. Spinach is rich in calcium and vitamin K. Boiling spinach helps release oxalic acid, which makes food taste bitter and may interfere with your bodys’ ability to absorb some nutrients. Boil spinach uncovered for about one minute.

Enjoy your vegetables! To your health!

By: Debbie Mumm

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When looking to lose weight there are some steps to take to find the most effective weight loss program for yourself, but the first step that you must take is putting the time and effort into doing the research. For something to work effectively you have to measure the pros and cons of the program, not only check out things such as testimonials and statistics, but also someone should check out how much money you will be investing in this program to see if it is actually worth the money.

Another thing someone should research is how much time will they be putting into this product because some don’t have as much time to put into as another person may, so check the simplicity of the product to see if it is relevant to your schedule and your lifestyle. This is one of the pros of having so many options out there, you are bound to find something that will be a perfect fit for you.

Out of everything that one has to do in order to achieve their weight loss goals, the main thing that a person needs to have is a mindset that they are going to follow the direction of whatever program they choose, in short a commitment to stick with the program. So often people say that they want to get up and lose weight either because they are training for something or because of health reasons, but so many times the ambition falls by the waist side for whatever reason. Some times people may get discouraged because they are not seeing results and feel they have been scammed or because they feel this program is too complicated and has too many steps for them to follow and it is not worth it. This is all the more reason to do extensive research and find a program that one would feel comfortable with because anything that you are comfortable with you have a better chance to stick with this regimen and you will achieve the results that you seek in no time.

The key to doing this is do not lie to yourself and not get hooked on a program just because you have heard that it has worked on one of your friends or family members, find something that you will feel comfortably fit into your budget and your schedule, basically something that will not make you go out of your way and try to get you to do something that you know you will not be able to accomplish.

By: LeKendrick Wilson

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Healthy soul food recipes continue to grow in popularity and demand. With this nations rising health problems, especially among African Americans, the need for healthy alternatives continue increase. As tasty and filling as the traditional down-home meals our great grandma used to make were, we now know some of the ingredients and methods of cooking were bad for us. Many of the traditional recipes contained high levels of cholesterol, fat and sodium. These ingredients in-turn ignited high cases of high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity as well as other health ailments.

To offset the negative results, traditional soul food recipes continue to go through a transformation. As a result it’s making a strong comeback among today’s health conscious adults and seniors. To help you make the transformation in your own home and family here’s a short list on how to cook healthier soul food meals. This list will help you to adjust your cooking methods easier, if you haven’t started already. If you’ve started cooking healthier, these tips will act as your inspiration to continue using healthier alternatives in preparing soul food. These healthy changes allow you to eat healthier without sacrificing taste. It may surprise you how little the original taste is sacrificed. Of course it may not taste as good as your grandmas, but you’ll find your taste buds applauding.

Here’s a short list of healthier alternatives for cooking soul food.


1. Instead of using whole milk:

Use reduced 1 or 2% milk when a recipe requires milk. For example, use in cornbread, custard, macaroni and cheese, sweet potato pie, etc.

2. Instead of using table salt:

Use Kosher salt. It has less sodium than regular table salt. But the healthiest alternative is using lime juice, lemon juice, apple cider vinegar and other various herbs and spices instead of salt.


3. Instead of deep fat frying:

Fry, bake, broil or roast your meats.

4. Instead of flavoring vegetables or beans with fat back, bacon or ham hocks:

Flavor them with smoked turkey necks, turkey ham or turkey bacon.


5. Instead of frying your chicken or fish in lard or vegetable oil:

Use peanut oil or at least canola oil.

6. Instead of pan frying in oil:

Use cooking spray.

7. Instead of cooking chicken with the skin:

Consider removing the skin from chicken before cooking and marinate to add flavor and moistness. By removing the skin you eliminate artery clogging cholesterol.

These are a few examples of using healthier ingredients in your soul food recipes. As you use them you’ll discover how little taste you’re sacrificing. In addition, your health won’t have to suffer like our ancestors may have had to. Because of these healthier cooking tips now you can have your soul food … at eat it too!

By: Roy Primm

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The problem with starting a weight loss program is that many people do so without really thinking things through. Then they wake up one day and realize that there are a number of items that they needed for their particular program that they don’t have and they have to scramble like mad to get them. Even worse, sometimes they’ll start a weight loss program and half way through it, realize that it’s the wrong program for them for a variety of reasons. This article will hopefully prepare you for starting a weight loss routine in a proper manner so that you’re not scrambling for things down the road. Hopefully, after reading this, you won’t have that problem.

The first thing you need to understand when starting a weight loss program is that not all weight loss programs are the same. There are many different methods for losing weight. There’s diet, exercise, drugs or any combination of these things. Each routine or method that you choose is going to have different requirements.

For example, let’s say you decide that you’re going to get this new at home yoga program. Well, before you send away for that package, make sure that you have the proper items needed to carry it out. For one thing, most of these programs now come on DVD. Well, guess what? If you don’t have a DVD player you better either plan to go out and get one or choose another option.

What about weight loss programs that require specific diets? Are you sure you don’t have any food allergies or intolerance? If not, you better get those things tested. The last thing you want to do is start on a diet and find out that the food you’re required to eat doesn’t sit well with your digestive system.

What about if you decided that you wanted to take diet pills? It would probably be a good idea to check with your doctor first to find out what the potential dangers of diet pills are, and believe me, the dangers are quite real. You doctor might determine that diet pills are not the best course of action for you. For that matter, you shouldn’t go on any diet plan without first checking with your physician first. As much as I’m not the biggest fan of the medical profession with the way they give our prescriptions like candy, there are times when it’s a good idea to talk to a doctor.

You also want to make sure that you’re physically capable of handling the diet plan that you’ve chosen, especially if you decide to go the exercise route. If you’ve been sitting behind a desk for the last 25 years and haven’t exercised since you graduated high school, you might want to take it slow when it comes to hitting that treadmill. You’ve probably got muscles that haven’t been used in years.

The bottom line is this. You can’t just jump into a diet program, no matter what kind it is. You need to make sure that you’re fully prepared for whatever plan it is that you choose and that your body has a better than even chance of surviving the routine.

In other words, use your head before you start using the other parts of your body.

To YOUR Health,

Steve Wagner

By: S. Wagner

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