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Iron in Cereal?

This all started with our science lesson from chapter 12, about the periodic table. 
We were identifying and discussing metals, semimetals, and nonmetals that were recognizable. 
Of course someone noticed that iron (Fe) is a metal.  It was then brought up by another student that we need iron in our diets in order to be healthy.  Well, then the discussion turned and it didn't take long for a big question to develop. "Can we really EAT iron?" 
Specifically we were asking, "Can we eat the metallic form of iron, like the one we see here on the metal section of our periodic table?" 
The big answer is what we found in our experiment.   You may have to see it to believe it!

     
Materials:
-1 box of Cheerios
-ziploc baggies
-water
-cup
-bar magnet
-white filter paper
-magnifying glass
   

Procedure:
1.  Put a 1/2 cup of Cheerios in a baggie and zip it up tight
2.  Crush the Cheerios into a fine powder
3.  Place powder in a cup
4.  Add water to the crushed Cheerios in the cup and mix until you attain a baby food like consistency. 
5.  Stir mixture with a bar magnet for 3 - 5 minutes.
6.  Remove bar magnet and observe for iron filings.
7.  Gently rinse cereal from bar magnet being careful not to rinse away any iron filings.
8.  Wipe iron filings off onto a white piece of filter paper and observe with a magnifying glass.
   
Results:
It took a little while to find the right consistency. It also took some patient stirring.
   
The stirring finally paid off and we began
to see some results!
 
It looks like we've finally got something! Let's carefully rinse off that cereal.
   
Wow!  It's true! 
Look at those iron filings!		 The result is that we really did find iron in our cereal!
 
The next big question from my thinkers was ... 
"Is it really okay for our bodies if we eat iron like this?" 
That is a discussion for another day!
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