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Iron deficiency, or sideropenia, is the state in which a body lacks enough iron to supply its needs. Iron is present in all cells in the human body and has several vital functions, such as carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs as a key component of the hemoglobin protein, acting as a transport medium for electrons within the cells in the form of cytochromes, and facilitating oxygen ...
However, many people do not eat enough of this critical mineral, increasing their vulnerability to iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anemia. Usually, eating a wide variety of iron-rich foods can ...
Iron-deficiency anemia affected about 1.48 billion people in 2015. [6] A lack of dietary iron is estimated to cause approximately half of all anemia cases globally. [12] Women and young children are most commonly affected. [3] In 2015, anemia due to iron deficiency resulted in about 54,000 deaths – down from 213,000 deaths in 1990. [7] [13]
How much iron do you need? Starting at age 14, females need more iron than males due to menstruation. Women ages 19 to 50 require 18 mg of iron daily, while men in this age range only need 8 mg.
The breakdown of the blood brain barrier may also occur due to the loss of neurons and will subsequently allow more iron to access the brain and accumulate over time. [ 3 ] Neuroferritinopathy is mainly seen in those who have reached late adulthood and is generally seen to slowly progress throughout many decades in a lifetime with the mean age ...
For example, a 2022 review in Cancer Medicine suggests too much iron can increase the risk of lung and colorectal cancers, noting that excess iron may fuel tumor growth.
Iron is involved with the development and functioning of different neurotransmitter systems and large iron quantities are required for the myelination of white brain matter. Abnormal myelination of white matter due to iron deficiency during development may be related to the onset of psychological disorders in adolescents. [ 34 ]
Iron overload (also known as haemochromatosis or hemochromatosis) is the abnormal and increased accumulation of total iron in the body, leading to organ damage. [1] The primary mechanism of organ damage is oxidative stress, as elevated intracellular iron levels increase free radical formation via the Fenton reaction.