| Iron is a vital component of hemoglobin,
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| | (found in milk, tears, saliva, bile,
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| which transports oxygen to the various
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| | seminal secretions, and cervical mucus),
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| tissues of the body. Life and iron are
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| | and desferrioxamine (a fungal product).
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| inseparable: with the sole exception of
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| | Mucosal transferrin binds iron in the
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| lactic acid bacteria, all living
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| | lumen of the gut to transport it across
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| organisms require iron as an essential
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| | the brush border of the intestinal
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| element for growth and multiplication.
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| | mucosa. Plasma transferrin transports
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| Iron deficiency is the most common
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| | protein and binds two atoms of iron; its
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| nutritional problem in the world.Free
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| | half-life is eight days, but varies
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| ionic iron hardly exists in the body. All
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| | widely because iron deficiency itself is
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| the intracellular iron is either in
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| | a stimulus to transferrin
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| hemoglobin or in the iron-storage protein
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| | formation.STORAGEThe total body iron is
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| ferritin. ABSORPTIONIron is rather unique
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| | 3-5 g (54-90 mmol), the bulk of which is
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| in that nature regulates its absorption,
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| | in hemoglobin. The sites of storage are
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| because there is no mechanism that
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| | the liver, spleen, and bone marrow, where
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| enables excretion of excess iron1 The
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| | iron is stored as ferritin or
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| precise mechanisms and control of iron
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| | hemosiderin.Ferritin, derived from the
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| absorption are not clear.The duodenum is
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| | reticuloendothelial tissue of the liver,
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| the main site of iron absorption. Small
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| | spleen, and bone marrow, is a spherical
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| intestinal iron absorption is by a
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| | storage iron protein which binds up to
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| process of diffusion. The amount of iron
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| | 4000 atoms of iron per molecule. It has
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| absorbed is 1%-5% of the dietary iron in
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| | 24 subunits arranged in a cluster like a
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| a normal man, studied using a radioactive
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| | raspberry, and contains 20% iron.
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| isotope.Because of the multiplicity of
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| | Ferritin represents the soluble, readily
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| factors affecting iron absorption, it is
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| | mobilizable fraction of storage iron; its
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| not possible to make a valid estimate of
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| | estimation, by radioimmunoassay, helps in
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| iron absorption from a meal. The
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| | diagnosing iron deficiency or overload.
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| absorption varies with foods, being
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| | This estimation is less expensive than
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| higher with a rice-based diet and lower
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| | that of serum iron and TIBC. The normal
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| with millets. Germination and baking
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| | values range from 12 to 250 micrograms
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| increase absorption, while it is reduced
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| | per litre; values less than 10 micrograms
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| with tannins, tea, tamarind, phytate and
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| | per litre denote iron deficiency.One
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| cereals. Food analysis reveals
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| | microgram per litre of serum is
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| considerable tannin in cereals, pulses,
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| | equivalent to 80 mg (1.4 mmol) storage
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| soybeans, and condiments like tamarind,
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| | iron. Storage iron is about 980 mg (17.5
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| turmeric and chillies. Absorption from
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| | mmol) in normal men and 450 mg (8 mmol)
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| soybean is enhanced when taken with meat
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| | in women. In iron overload, the values
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| or vitamins. Prolonged warming of meals
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| | are higher; in acute liver cell damage,
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| decreases their vitamin C content, and
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| | too, release of ferritin gives abnormally
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| hence, iron absorption. The amino acid
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| | high values.The structure of hemosiderin
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| cysteine enhances iron absorption from
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| | is not well understood, but it is
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| vegetables, animal foods, and iron
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| | believed to be a degradation product of
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| salts.Iron in meat and liver is better
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| | ferritin. Hemosiderin iron is not readily
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| absorbed than that in eggs and leafy
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| | released.Desferrioxamine is a chelating
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| vegetables. With animal foods, the mean
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| | agent that binds iron and excretes it in
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| iron absorption ranges from 7% from
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| | the urine. The urinary excretion of iron
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| ferritin to 22% from veal muscle, with
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| | is thus easily measured, and this method
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| intermediate values of 11 % from fish and
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| | is utilized to estimate iron stores.
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| 13% from liver. Animal protein in beef,
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| | Injection of desferrioxamine in patients
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| pork, chicken or fish (but not egg and
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| | with decreased iron stores results in
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| milk) increases absorption of non-heme
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| | diminished urinary iron
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| iron from vegetable sources. On a
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| | excretion.Transferrin is a glycoprotein
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| rice-based diet, iron absorption
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| | synthesized mainly by the liver. It can
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| increases with the addition of 40 g
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| | bind two ferric iron molecules and is
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| fish.Iron absorption on a cereal diet is
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| | responsible for the total iron-binding
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| decreased because phosphate and phytates
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| | capacity of the serum, which is 250-370
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| precipitate ionised iron. Soya protein is
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| | micrograms per 100 ml.EXCRETIONAbsorbed
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| a major inhibitory factor of iron
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| | iron is tenaciously bound to protein. The
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| absorption due to its phytate
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| | little excretion that occurs, as with
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| content.4Fiber in wheat and maize
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| | shedding of the inner lining of the
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| decreases iron absorption. Tea and coffee
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| | digestive tract (desquamation of the
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| form insoluble iron tannate that is not
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| | epithelium of the mucous membrane),
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| absorbed. Coconut milk, used extensively
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| | cannot be correctly assessed. Iron passed
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| in cooking in Thailand and southern
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| | in stool is mostly unabsorbed dietary
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| India, inhibits iron absorption.Iron
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| | iron; some iron is also -lost through the
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| absorption increases with iron-deficiency
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| | bile. Desquamation of the skin increases
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| anemia, low plasma iron, increased red
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| | iron loss with sweating in the hot, humid
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| blood cell activity in the bone marrow,
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| | climate of the tropics. The urinary loss
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| pancreatic deficiency, and in women.
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| | of iron is negligible.IRON Loss IN WOMENA
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| Increased iron absorption occurs in
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| | woman loses additional iron during her
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| normal persons during menstruation,
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| | reproductive life: (i) during each
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| pregnancy, puberty, and after blood loss.
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| | menstrual cycle 30-60 ml of blood is
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| Iron absorption is increased if iron body
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| | lost, which involves a monthly loss of
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| stores are depleted.Inorganic ferrous and
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| | 15-30 mg (269-537 micromol) iron; (ii)
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| ferric salts are both absorbed, but
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| | during pregnancy the fetus, placenta, and
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| ferrous iron is absorbed better. There is
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| | loss during parturition drain the mother
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| no difference in the absorption of the
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| | of over 500 mg (9 mmol) iron, which would
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| inexpensive ferrous sulphate and the more
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| | require an increase in the daily
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| expensive slow-release iron tablets.
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| | absorption by 2 mg (36 micromol); and
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| Hemoglobin iron is absorbed intact as
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| | (iii) during lactation, there is an
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| heme, even at neutral pH, and is not
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| | additional daily loss of 1.5 mg (27
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| affected by dietary phosphate or
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| | micromol) iron. Owing to such losses,
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| phytate.Gastric acidity maintains the
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| | women--even in Western countries-have low
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| solubility of inorganic iron, which aids
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| | iron stores.DEFICIENCY
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| the formation of small molecu les with
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| | Anemia are the most common and
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| ascorbic acid, citrate, fructose, and
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| | widespread nutrition problems. A vast
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| amino acids. Citrate and ascorbate, being
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| | majority of cases are due to iron
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| soluble, are more easily absorbed, while
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| | deficiency. On a global basis, 2.15
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| tannate (from tannic acid in tea),
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| | billion persons are anemic or
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| phytate and phosphate are not so readily
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| | iron-deficient.
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| absorbed.Vitamin C reduces ferric iron to
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| | Iron is also utilized by the brain. Iron
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| ferrous iron which. remains soluble even
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| | uptake is maximum during rapid brain
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| at neutral pH and is better absorbed.
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| | growth in the fetus 15 Iron-deficient
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| Even when the diet is poor in iron,
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| | infants are below par in mental and
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| vitamin C supplement with each meal
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| | physical development. Iron intervention
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| enhances iron absorption.? Vitamin C
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| | can reverse these development delays.
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| taken in divided doses with each meal
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| | A post-cricoid web is often associated
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| will increase iron absorption to a
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| | with iron deficiency; when followed up,
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| greater extent than a single large dose
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| | some of these developed cancer in that
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| with breakfast.Calcium inhibits iron
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| | region. Lowered levels of intestinal
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| absorption. Radio-iron absorption tests
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| | disaccharidases occur with iron
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| in human volunteers show decreased
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| | deficiency anemia; this' is corrected by
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| absorption with cimetidine and
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| | oral iron supplement.
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| antacids.BLOOD LEVELSPLASMA IRON :-
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| | Serum ferritin radioimmunoassay is the
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| Normal plasma iron level is 60-160
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| | most reliable test for iron-deficiency
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| micrograms per 100 ml (10.74-28.6
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| | anemia. Little additional information is
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| micromol/l); the total plasma
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| | gained from other noninvasive
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| iron-binding capacity (TIBC) is 280-400
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| | tests.Subodh Jain is an editor of
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| microgram per 100 ml (50.1-71.6 micromol
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| | Vitamins-minerals-supplements.org. For
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| l), of which about one-third is normally
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| | more information on Iron check out
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| saturated.The iron-binding proteins are
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| | Vitamins-minerals-supplements.
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| transferrin (siderophilin), lactoferrin
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| |
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