Iron deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. Research suggests that as many as 80% of people in the world don’t have enough iron in their bodies. That’s a big problem because the mineral plays a number of really important roles in our bodies’ daily functioning.

Iron is a mineral that’s vital to your health. All of your cells contain some form of iron, but most of the iron in your body is in your red blood cells. Red blood cells transport oxygen from your lungs to the organs and tissues throughout your body. This powerful mineral is also essential for cognitive function, including memory, problem-solving, concentration and learning. Your brain will perform at its best if your body has enough iron in its system.

Common causes of iron deficiency anemia can be:

  • inadequate iron intake due to a diet that doesn’t provide the daily nutritional needs or that’s heavily restricted
  • vegetarians or vegans who don’t replace meat with other iron-rich food
  • people with an eating disorder
  • inflammatory bowel disease
  • increased iron requirements during pregnancy
  • chronic diseases that interfere with nutrition
  • blood loss through heavy periods or internal bleeding

Symptoms of iron-deficiency anemia can be very mild at first and symptoms may go unnoticed for a while. Iron deficiency can result in symptoms that can affect your quality of life.

As iron deficiency gets worse, symptoms can include:

  •     fatigue
  •     weakness
  •     pale skin
  •     shortness of breath
  •     dizziness
  •     headaches
  •     brittle nails
  •     fast heartbeat
  •     strange cravings for ice or dirt, called pica
  •     cold hands and feet
  •     tingling or a crawling feeling in the legs

So how much should you be getting?

  • Women between 19 and 50 should be getting 18 milligrams of iron per day – and a whopping 27 mg if they’re pregnant.
  • Women over 50 need less iron – only 8 mg per day.
  • Men age 19 and older need 8 mg of iron every day.
  • Kids and babies need between 7 and 15 mg per day, depending on their age.

There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is found in animal foods, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Non-heme iron is from plant sources. Heme iron from meat is absorbed more efficiently than non heme and dietary inorganic iron and in a different manner. Thus, iron deficiency is less frequent in countries where meat constitutes a significant part of the diet.

The desiccated grass-fed beef spleen is one of the best sources of dietary heme-iron. Beef spleen contains 5 times more heme iron than beef liver. 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of beef spleen contains 45 milligrams of heme iron, while the same amount of beef liver contains 8.3 milligrams of heme iron.

Nutriest supplements contain naturally occurring heme-iron, which is non-synthetic, kind to your stomach and easily absorbed. Nutriest desiccated organic beef spleen supplement daily dosage contains 80% NRV heme-iron.