The benefits of iron in infant nutrition
Iron is one of the most important nutrients in the growth of a child, it will give him all the energy he needs at his age.
We have always heard that iron is a key element in the diet of our children. However, perhaps we do not know why it is. Iron is essential for its proper growth and in order to have excellent health. This is also very necessary for adults and we can find it in quantity of food. In PregDream we tell you what are the benefits of iron in children’s diet so that your children grow up healthy and strong, as the famous cartoon Popeye told us while he ate a whole can of spinach.
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WHY NOT TAKING ENOUGH IRON IS NECESSARY AND WHAT ARE THE CONSEQUENCES FOR CHILDREN
Children should take iron because it helps make red blood cells in the blood, making hemoglobin, thus transporting the oxygen produced by the lungs to all the organs of the body. If the child is not getting enough iron in his diet, the red blood cells will not be able to transport the necessary oxygen correctly to each and every one of the organs of his body, which can cause them not to function as they should, in addition to the child feels weak and tired and this affects his growth.
Children with a lack of iron in their diet tend to have a whitish or yellowish skin color, as not enough oxygen reaches their organs from the lungs as it should. We can also see that the child is not completely healthy , because he will feel very weak and tired . He will not have the energy that other children have and, with minimal effort, he will already want to rest or lie down for a while.
We must bear in mind that it is not normal for a child to suddenly feel tired and without strength. Childhood is the period of our life in which we are most active and we must expend the most energy. Therefore, if you see that your child is paler than normal, perhaps with slight dark circles and very tired, you will have to take him to the doctor as soon as possible so that they do a blood test and determine if he needs to add more iron to his diet. .
HOW TO ADD MORE IRON TO OUR CHILDREN’S DIET
As we mentioned, spinach is a well-known source of iron thanks to the Popeye cartoons . They well said that ingesting a large amount of iron made him feel stronger and more active, nothing is further from reality for our children. We must then make a balanced diet rich in iron, but without abuse.
The best thing is that our doctor advises us how to do it once he has diagnosed our child with iron deficiency. If you haven’t gotten sick yet, but want it to be iron-free , simply add one of the ingredients listed below to improve your diet.
FOODS HIGHEST IN IRON
Foods that contain iron are: fruits and vegetables such as those that contain vitamin C (oranges, grapefruit and tangerines); the red meat like lamb or beef; green leafy vegetables like spinach, chard, and broccoli; the oily fish such as sardines or mackerel; the pulses such as lentils and beans; the grains such as oats and wheat. If we give our child a balanced diet that contains all these ingredients in the right measure, we will help him balance iron levels so that they do not decline again.
In the most extreme cases, your doctor will advise you on a nutritional supplement (perhaps in the form of syrup or pills) rich in iron so that your child will have the iron necessary for proper growth again. However, we must not give the child more iron than necessary in his diet , since this could have negative effects on his health: damaging the organs by the excessive creation of red blood cells.
Thus, iron is essential for the growth of your child. Especially for girls during adolescence , since with the onset of the period they will lose blood and their body will not yet be used to menstruation . If they suffer from a lack of iron, they will feel tired, irritable and have difficulty concentrating in their studies , so it is very important that you take your children for a blood test at least twice a year to check their iron level.
When the deficiency is little, it can be remedied with a good diet , but in the most extreme cases your child can be really tired and weak, which will have a very negative effect on his health and in his day to day life. Therefore, the benefits of iron are many for our children, because if they have the correct level of this in the body they will be healthy and strong to be able to grow and be happy as they deserve.
Dr. Tabriella Perivolaris, Sara's mother and fan of fashion, beauty, motherhood, among others, about the female universe. Since 2018 she has been working as a copywriter, always bringing to her articles a little of her experience and experience as a mother and woman.