MINERALS:::
Minerals are of equal importance in the body iron calcium phosphorous sodium potassium and chloride are found in moderate to large quantities Besides these iodine copper sulfur magnesium zinc manganese cobalt chromium and selenium are also required in traces
Iron:Source::
Animal source is liver meat egg yolk and shellfish Leafy vegetables peas fruit honey and jaggery also contain good amount of iron
Absorption::
Iron absorption mainly depends on the need of iron as determined by apoferritin level in the intestinal mucosa Stomach acidity helps in liberation of iron from the organic iron in the diet calcium and vitamin C aid the absorption of iron
Iron in the Body::
About 60% of iron is found in blood (RBC) as haemoglobin its small quantity is found dissolved in the blood plasma it is stored in the bone marrow spleen and liver it is also a constituent of myoglobin of the muscle
Excretion::
It is excreted in faeces and urine Natural loss of iron occurs in women during menstruation pregnancy and delivery women suffer more from iron deficiency anaemia than men some of the iron is also lost by shedding of hair epithelial cells and mucosal cells
Functions:::
1.Iron is essential for the synthesis of haemoglobin to fill up RBCs of the blood which carry oxygen
2.It is required to build up chromation of the nucleus of the protoplasmic cells
3.Iron in the haemoglobin carries o2 to the tissue and little Co2 from the tissues to the lung
4.It supplies o2 to the muscle myoglobin during contraction
5.Cytochrome enzyme system contains iron as a catalyst
6.Iron is important in oxidation process of the nerve cells
Deficiency:::
Hypochromic nutritional anaemia occurs due to iron deficiency in the diet if the patient takes iron and protein containing diet new haemoglobin is formed and anaemia may be prevented
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