Deficiency

Iron deficiency

Deficiency

Iron deficiency (sideropenia or hypoferremia) is the most common known form of nutritional deficiency. Too little iron can interfere with these vital functions and lead to morbidity and mortality.

The direct consequence of iron deficiency is iron deficiency anemia. Total body iron averages approximately 3.8 g in men and 2.3 g in women. In blood plasma, iron is carried tightly bound to the protein transferrin. Bacteria, like human cells, require iron for growth, and restricting its bioavailability in this way prevents their infectious growth. There are several mechanisms that control human iron metabolism and safeguard against iron deficiency. When loss of iron is not sufficiently compensated by adequate intake after some time that is determined by the state of body iron storage, iron deficiency develops.

ron deficiency can have serious health consequences that diet may not be able to quickly correct, and iron supplementation is often necessary if the iron deficiency has become symptomatic. However, mild iron deficiency can be corrected, and prevented, by eating iron-rich foods. Because iron is an absolute requirement for most of the Earth’s plants and animals, a wide range of food can provide iron. However, these foods are absorbed and processed differently by the body; for instance, iron from meat (heme iron source) is more easily broken down and absorbed than iron in grains (“non-heme” iron source), and minerals and chemicals in one type of food may inhibit absorption of iron from another type of food eaten at the same time.[1]Because iron from plant sources is less easily absorbed than the heme-bound iron of animal sources, vegetarians and vegans should have a somewhat higher total daily iron intake than those who eat meat, fish or poultry.[2]Iron from nonheme sources is more readily absorbed if consumed with foods that contain either heme-bound iron or vitamin C. This is due to a hypothesised “meat factor” which enhances iron absorption.