Iron is one of the most abundant metals on Earth, is essential for plants and animal life. Plants need iron for the formation of chlorophyll, and respiration. In fact, iron is an integral part of many proteins and enzymes that maintain good health in human being and animals.
The presence of iron in the human blood was discovered in the the 19th century. It is a vital component of hemoglobin which gives blood its red colour, whether it is human blood or animal blood. If a person's blood does not have enough iron in it, he or she will became tired easily and suffer from frequent headaches.
Iron has many medicinal properties too. In ancient times, people often swallowed iron filings with the hope that it would improve their health. Today, people do not swallow iron fillings any more, but they do take iron supplements to treat anemia which is condition where a person has low levels of iron on the blood.
Did you know that liver, oats and cashew nuts are all foods rich in iron?
