Acesulfame potassium is a zero-calorie sweetener that is added to many sugar-free…
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Iron
Iron
Iron
What is it:
Iron is a naturally occurring metal that is used to make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Iron is typically found in meat, poultry, and seafood products, although vegetarian options for iron like spinach also exist. Iron can also be supplemented. Iron used in processed foods is produced in an electrochemical refining process and deposition process that forms a black powder. Iron is added to processed foods such as rice and cereal because the naturally occurring iron can often be lost when foods are processed and have to be added back in to retain the initial vitamin levels.
Rating:
Iron deficiency leads to a lack of oxygen being distributed around the body. Without oxygen, the body cannot properly go through oxidative phosphorylation and therefore cannot make ATP. ATP is the source of our energy, which is why exhaustion is a symptom of iron deficiency. Improving iron intake has lots of benefits including an improved mood and decreased sweating while exercising. Iron is an essential nutrient for our survival. Iron deficiency has both short-term consequences (such as headaches) and long-term consequences (such as heart failure). However, too much iron can also be problematic. Processed foods can add in more iron than the nutritional labels suggest, and excessive iron intake is a risk factor for a long list of diseases. In addition, taking high levels of iron supplements, especially on an empty stomach, can lead to negative symptoms such as nausea.
Resources:
- Iron Fact Sheet NIH
- Iron and oxidative phosphorylation
- ATP (review)
- Iron and Exercise (double-blind human study)
- Excess Iron in Processed Foods and Diseases Linked to Excess Iron (review)
- Why nutrients are added back into processed foods
- Processed Foods (article)
- Anemia symptoms
- How iron is produced for processed foods
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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