Iron absorption

The rate of absorption of iron is adjusted according to body iron requirements, but the virtual absence of heme and the poor bioavailability of the nonheme iron in the diets of many people, especially in developing countries, means that the amount that can be absorbed is limited. Those whose require...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inAnnual review of medicine Vol. 34; p. 55
Main Authors Charlton, R W, Bothwell, T H
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published United States 01.01.1983
Subjects
Adult
Animals
Biological Availability
Biological Transport
Female
Food
Hemochromatosis - genetics
HLA Antigens - analysis
Humans
Infant
Intestinal Absorption
Intestinal Mucosa - metabolism
Iron - deficiency
Iron - metabolism
Ligands
Male
Pregnancy
Transferrin - metabolism
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Summary:The rate of absorption of iron is adjusted according to body iron requirements, but the virtual absence of heme and the poor bioavailability of the nonheme iron in the diets of many people, especially in developing countries, means that the amount that can be absorbed is limited. Those whose requirements are increased by growth, menstruation, or pregnancy frequently cannot absorb enough. Sufficient is now known about the factors in food that increase or diminish the bioavailability of nonheme iron to permit the effective fortification of dietary staples, although the application of this information has proved difficult particularly in the Third World where nutritional iron deficiency is most prevalent. Effective fortification may lead to iron overload in those whose control of iron absorption is genetically defective, and recent evidence that the HLA-linked recessive gene for idiopathic hemochromatosis may occur much more commonly than hitherto suspected makes it imperative that an effective monitoring system should form a part of every fortification program.
ISSN:0066-4219
DOI:10.1146/annurev.me.34.020183.000415