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Physiological Contemplation of Iron in the Body

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Abstract

Iron has high biological significance owing to its role in wider physio-biochemical activities in the human body. Iron is an essential mineral for human and other organisms except for a few microbes. Iron is the structural and functional part of haemoglobin, myoglobin, cytochromes, catalase, peroxidase, FAD, NAD, ferritin, transferrin and porphyrin macromolecules. Term and healthy infants have adequate body iron store that may be necessary for growth as early as 4–6 months. Moreover, exclusive breast-feeding in this period can help to supplement 0.3 mg/L of the iron in the body of infants. Iron deficiency in tender age group between 1 and 3 years is highly injurious to overall health and development of children. It may permanently impair psychomotor development in children. Exclusively and prolonged breast-fed infants are more liable to iron deficiency owing to least iron content of breast milk and rapid growth of the body and increased iron demand.

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  1. Department of Physiology and Biochemistry, Eklavya Dental College and Hospital, Kotputli, Rajasthan, India

    Anil Gupta

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Gupta, A. (2017). Physiological Contemplation of Iron in the Body. In: Nutritional Anemia in Preschool Children. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5178-4_3

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