The U.S. News and World Report – Kadakkal Radhakrishnan, M.D.
“Iron is an important micronutrient in the human body and an essential nutrient for your little one’s development. That being said, an iron deficiency can have many implications on your children’s overall health and growth – and can even lead to anemia. So what is iron, exactly? Iron is an important component of hemoglobin that’s present in the red cells and actually gives blood its red color. Hemoglobin helps transport oxygen from the lungs to the body. It’s also present in myoglobin in muscles, and it helps muscles both store and use oxygen. In addition, iron is present in the mitochondria – the power house of the cell – and helps generate ATP, the energy molecule in the body. If you aren’t getting enough iron, the tissues and organs won’t get the oxygen they need, and anemia may develop. (more)