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Nutrient Details For : Iron

A nutrient is any element or compound necessary for or contributing to an organism's metabolism, growth, or other functioning. Click name for details Arsenic Biotin Boron Calcium Carbohydrates Carnitine Carotenoids Chloride Choline Chromium Copper Energy Fiber Fluoride Folate Iodine Iron Lipids Magnesium Manganese Molybdenum Niacin Nickel Pantothenic acid Phosphorus Phyto-chemicals Potassium Protein Riboflavin Selenium Silicon Sodium Thiamin Vanadium Vitamin A Vitamin B 12 Vitamin B 6 Vitamin C Vitamin D Vitamin E Vitamin K Zinc Further Trace Elements

Iron (Fe) is an essential nutrient that carries oxygen and forms part of the oxygen carrying proteins, hemoglobin in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle.

It is also a necessary component of various enzymes.

Body iron is concentrated ini bone marrow, liver, and spleen.
Transferrin protein in the blood transports and delivers iron to cells.

There are two forms of dietary iron defined by their chemical structure - heme and nonheme - heme iron is easier absorbed.

Deficiencies:

Severe iron deficiency results in anemia with small, pale, red blood cells that have a low hemoglobin concentration. Iron deficiency anemia in pregnancy increases the risk of premature and low birth weight babies.

In young children, iron deficiency is associated with behavioral abnormalities (such as reduced attention span), and reduced cognitive performance that may not be fully reversible by iron replacement.

In adults, severe iron deficiency anemia impairs physical work capacity. In the US, iron deficiency anemia is relatively rare, but affects 5% of women 20 - 49 years old. Moderate iron deficiency without anemia is most common in 1 - 2 year-old children (9%), and females 12 - 49 years old (9 - 11%), reflecting rapid growth or menstrual iron loss, and is less common in other groups.

Recommendations:

The 1989 Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for iron is 6 mg for infants through 6 months of age; 10 mg for older infants and children through 10 years old, men 18 years and older, and women over 50 years; 12 mg for 11-18 year-old males; 15 mg for 11-50 year-old females, including nursing mothers; and 30 mg (a recommendation which requires supplementation) during pregnancy.

The 1989 - 91 USDA Food Consumption Survey indicates that average diets meet or exceed the RDA for all groups except 1-2 year-old children (91% of RDA) and women ages 12-49 years (75-80 % of RDA).

Iron supplements are not needed by most people and, because of potential adverse effects of excessive iron, should not be taken by adult men or postmenopausal women without demonstrable need.

Food sources:

Grain products are a principal source of dietary iron, followed by meat, poultry and fish, then vegetables, then legumes, nuts, and soy. Red meat is a rich source of iron that is well absorbed.

Heme iron (about 40% of the iron in meat, poultry, or fish) is absorbed at a rate of 15-45%, depending on iron stores (persons with low iron stores tend to compensate by absorbing more iron).

Nonheme iron, the remaining majority of dietary iron, is 1-15% absorbed, depending on iron stores.

Iron-fortified formula or cereals are useful in preventing iron deficiency in infants.

Toxicity:

Iron supplements intended for other household members are the most common cause of pediatric (child) poisoning deaths in the US. In populations of European origin, approximately 1 in 300 people have hemochromatosis, a genetic abnormality of excessive iron stores. Researchers are testing hypotheses that high iron stores may increase the risk of chronic diseases, such as cancer and heart disease, through oxidative mechanisms.

Chemical information on Iron

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