Dietary Iron

Excerpt

The trace element iron is essential for optimal physiological functioning and overall health and must be derived from dietary food sources and supplements. The body cannot synthesize iron, but macrophages can recycle and reuse it from senescent erythrocytes. Some iron is lost daily from occult stool and urine blood losses and the desquamation of skin and endothelial cells and must be replaced.

Iron facilitates the transportation of oxygen throughout the bloodstream via hemoglobin in erythrocytes. Iron is also a component of myoglobin, aiding in storing and releasing oxygen within muscle cells, and contributes to enzymatic reactions in energy production, DNA and amino acid synthesis, and immune function.

The average amount of iron in an adult male is approximately 3 to 4 grams, of which three-quarters are heme proteins, such as hemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, and peroxidases. About 20% to 30% of total body iron exists in the form of storage proteins, including ferritin and hemosiderin.

This activity reviews the dietary needs, sources, absorption, and function of iron and the clinical significance of its deficiency.