& Healing Centre
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Iron Deficiency.
Iron deficiency (sideropenia or hypoferremia) is one of the
most commonly known forms of nutritional deficiencies. In the human body, iron
is present in all cells and has several vital functions—as a carrier of oxygen
to the tissues from the lungs in the form of hemoglobin, as a transport medium
for electrons within the cells in the form of cytochromes, and as an integral
part of enzyme reactions in various tissues. 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. Groups that
are most prone to developing this disease are children and pre-menopausal women.
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. Indeed, during fever, one way of
controlling bacteria growth is through temporary hypoferremia.
There are several mechanisms that control human iron metabolism and safeguard
against iron deficiency. The main regulatory mechanism is situated in the
gastrointestinal tract. 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.
