The human body should be three to five grams of iron
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On average, in 1 kg body weight of an adult human should be found iron - from 40 mg in women - up to 50 mg in men. Systemic iron is stored in the liver, spleen and bone marrow. A significant part of the iron pool is actively used to bind body oxygen in the blood and muscles. We are most interested in this part of the systemic iron pool, which is the building material of the red blood dye - or hemoglobin. Let's remind - iron bound chemically with a protein group in hemoglobin - the so-called heme binding - it is very important, because when circulating in the blood it binds oxygen in the lungs like a strong magnesium and transports it to vital tissues and organs. It can be said that the amount of iron bound to hemoglobin indirectly reflects our ability to obtain oxygen necessary for the production of biological energy, i.e. the one that conditions and enables the correct functioning of the heart, brain, intense muscular effort in the legs and hands and energy-consuming activities of the liver, kidneys, lungs, etc. The physiological amount of iron in the blood should be between 40 and 160 micrograms per liter. Unfortunately, there is sometimes a shortage of iron in the blood. [1,6,8]
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Iron stimulates the bone marrow to produce hemoglobin and red blood cells
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The abovementioned - an apparently small amount of systemic iron is necessary for the supply of bone marrow activity. The bone marrow has the production of red blood cells - erythrocytes. The majority of erythrocytes is produced in the bone marrow of the skull, ribs and spine in adults, although in infants and young children the key role of the spleen plays a fundamental role for some time. In the marrow production process, less than a week is formed mature red blood cells - ready to carry oxygen and metabolites in the systemic circulation. To be properly constructed, that is, that their hemoglobin be able to fulfill its key role of binding oxygen and metabolites - they must already contain iron atoms! Therefore, thanks to the constant supply of iron in our diet - a blood cell factory, which is a red bone marrow, it is possible to produce and renew an unbelievably numerous armada of "oxygen-transport" cellars full of oxygen, such as healthy red blood cells. Interestingly, hemoglobin - after oxygen donation to cells in need of it - has the ability to suck out harmful metabolites at the head with carbon dioxide, etc. From the moment of oxygen donation and absorption of carbon dioxide and other metabolites, each erythrocyte becomes temporarily systemic "A garbage truck", which transports cellular metabolites via the venous blood - to the systemic "wastewater treatment plant", which are the kidneys. Let's remind - every adult should have about 5.4 million erythrocytes only in 1 cubic mm - acting as oxygen transporters and toxic metabolites. In total, around 35-40 trillion red blood cells in total! Because human red blood cells do not have a nucleus and organelles and therefore are not capable of self-repair - therefore, due to the damage accumulating over time, they undergo destruction and decomposition in about 120 days (mainly in the spleen). The body must therefore continually produce new erythrocytes that gradually replace those that have disintegrated. [1,6,8]
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The key role of iron in hemoglobin for health
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Iron related so-called heme binding with a red blood dye - hemoglobin - is critical to health. This iron has, as we have already mentioned, the unique ability to bind oxygen in the lungs and transport it through the blood to the tissues and organs that need it.Easy detachment of oxygen from hemoglobin and penetration of gas into the cell - it allows burning energy substances from the food and obtaining this vital energy. What's more, haem iron picking up and releasing the carbon dioxide and other metabolites through the kidneys - cleanses the body of harmful waste. The latter is no less important than acquiring energy, because excess carbon dioxide, urea and other metabolites are toxic! In a word - if the system lacks the iron and physiological derivative of this metal, which is properly saturated with hemoglobin filling red blood cells - then we lack the ability to obtain energy and the body is poisoned with its own metabolites. Then, the pathology referred to as iron deficiency anemia afflicts us. This ailment manifests itself with a set of symptoms called under the popular name - anemia. In practice, this means that we feel weakened and suffer many symptoms. (Look below)
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Causes of iron deficiency anemia - Latin. anemia sideropenica
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This disease is still relatively frequent, especially in the situation of malnutrition, faulty diet, frequent diarrhea or abnormal weight loss. It is mainly due to the lack of red blood pigment - hemoglobin - caused by iron deficiency in the diet. However, anemia is a complex pathology and can also arise from other causes. Anemia can, for example, result from dysfunctions and diseases of the hematopoietic system itself. This category of causes the pathological morphic structure of red blood cells, including their dysfunctionality towards the key tasks of cell oxidation and purification from metabolites. Another reason is the abnormal ratio of the volume of red blood cells (erythrocytes) to the volume of whole blood dry matter - the so-called wrong hematocrit. Recall - blood in addition to red blood cells also contains platelets (responsible for its clotting); white blood cells - leukocytes - fight against germs, toxins and other harmful antigens and plasma consisting of water and nutrients absorbed in the intestines.
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Among the immediate causes of anemia the most important is iron deficiency ...
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Anemia and its sickness symptoms - may also be caused by: a large loss of blood, both due to post-accidental injuries and heavy, regular menstrual hemorrhages. Anemia can also result from the abnormalities of hematopoietic function (pathologies of bone marrow, spleen, etc.). The result is the production of morphologically defective erythrocytes that do not perform their physiological functions properly or live too short. (so-called hemolytic syndromes). However, it should be emphasized that the most important cause of anemia is statistically iron deficiency (Latin anemia sideropenica). This cause accounts for almost 80% of all diagnosed cases of anemia! It is also worth noting that a significant effect on the absorption of iron is the presence in the body of the appropriate concentration - folic acid, vitamin B12 and copper.
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Literature
1. The human body - Wyd. Germini Poland 1993 and Small encyclopedia of medicine PWN 1999,
2. BIOPARTICATES, OR MICRO AND MACRO ELEMENTS; prof. dr hab. med. Andrzej Danysz published,
3. LEKI.
4. Deficiency anemia in family practice; Dr n. Med. Donata Kurpas, prof. dr hab. n. med. Andrzej Steciwko - "TRAPIA" Year XVI NR 2, z. 1 (205), FEBRUARY 2008
5. Harper's biochemistry - PZWL 2004.
6. http: //portalwiedzy.onet.,,,hemoglobina - based on the WIEM Encyclopedia developed by based on the Popular Encyclopedia of Fogra Universal Publishing http://www.fogra.com.pl/
7. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemoglobina
8. Blood, blood, life, Zofia Kuratowska - Universal Knowledge 1981
9. Gawęcki J., Hryniewiecki L. (ed.), Human Nutrition. Basics of nutrition science, PWN Scientific Publishers, Warsaw 1998
10. Kunachowicz H., Czarnowska-Misztal E., Turlejska H., Principles of human nutrition, School and Pedagogical Publishers, Warsaw 2000
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