IRON AND VITAMIN C: let's get to know them better!

Let's try to learn more about these two elements that are so important for our body, discovering how to take them without resorting to the use of vitamin C or iron supplements.

Iron is a very important mineral for our body which we find around 70% in hemoglobin and therefore in the blood but it is also present and participates in the activity of numerous enzymes.

In foods we can find it in two forms:

• Hemic iron present in foods of animal origin
• Non-hemic iron contained in foods of plant origin

Between the two forms, heme iron is more bioavailable and is absorbed in higher quantities than non-heme iron which instead has a very low bioavailability, with reduced absorption and can be influenced by other components of the diet.

In fact, there are various substances in foods that can influence both positively and negatively the absorption of iron: for example, the phytates and oxalates present in tea or coffee can reduce it or, on the contrary, vitamin C can enhance it.

An iron deficiency can lead to iron deficiency anemia, a form of chronic anemia characterized by a reduction in hemoglobin resulting in reduced physical performance and an impaired immune response. In these conditions it is always good to refer to a doctor who can help us address the problem from a therapeutic point of view and to a nutrition expert who can direct us towards a diet rich in iron so as to increase the mineral's reserves.

As regards vitamin C, it falls into the group of essential micronutrients for humans and in particular it is a water-soluble vitamin. This vitamin participates in various metabolic reactions and has important antioxidant functions and is essential for the neutralization of free radicals.

Among the foods richest in vitamin C are fresh fruit and vegetables, in particular peppers, chili peppers, broccoli, kiwis, strawberries and citrus fruits, although we must always keep in mind that this vitamin is very labile and following various transformation processes and/or preparation of food is easily lost: for example, with simple cooking, on average 56% of the vitamin C content of the food is lost.

A vitamin C deficiency is usually due to inadequate intake although it is generally difficult to incur a real deficiency in developed countries and therefore the need to take a vitamin C supplement is really reduced; however, there are particular segments of the population that can develop it and among these there are for example:

• ELDERLY: part of the population most at risk due to inappropriate nutritional intake
• SMOKERS: they have a higher need for vitamin C than non-smokers as their oxidative stress condition is generally higher due to smoking
• OBESE: in this category of people, lower levels of plasma vitamin C are found compared to those of the normal weight population and this seems to be correlated not only to a low dietary intake but also to a condition of increased oxidative stress as in the case of smokers.

So although a vitamin C deficiency is rare, the intake of this vitamin can be used to promote the absorption of iron. In fact, as we said before, vitamin C promotes the intestinal absorption of non-hemic iron, specifically reducing it to a soluble and more bioavailable form.

So for example when you eat meat or vegetables in particular, season your dish by squeezing fresh lemon juice just before eating or consume a fruit rich in vitamin C immediately afterwards so as to increase the absorption of iron as well as benefit from all the macro and micronutrients contained in these foods!!!

Bibliography

• Reference Intake Levels of Nutrients and Energy for the Italian Population. 4th revision – 2nd reprint
• https://www.fondazioneveronesi.it/magazine
• Schleicher, R. L., Carroll, M. D., Ford, E. S., & Lacher, D. A. (2009). Serum vitamin C and the prevalence of vitamin C deficiency in the United States: 2003-2004 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). The American journal of clinical nutrition, 90(5), 1252–1263. https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2008.27016