Nutrition iron requirements

The Committee concluded that sodium iron EDTA is suitable for use as a source of iron for food fortification to fulfil the nutritional iron requirements, provided that the total intake of iron from all food sources including contaminants does not exceed the PMTDI of 0.8 mg/kg bw (Annex 1, reference 62). Additionally, the total intake of EDTA should not exceed acceptable levels, also taking into account the intake of EDTA from the food additive use of other EDTA compounds. An ADI of 0-2.5 mg/kg bw was previously established for the calcium disodium and disodium salts of EDTA, equivalent to up to 1.9 mg EDTA/kg bw (Annex 1, reference 32). A preliminary exposure assessment based on suggested levels of fortification for sodium iron EDTA indicates that the intake of EDTA in infants and children up to the age of 13 already is at or exceeds the upper limit of the ADI for EDTA. 

Xutritioital. Anemias. These disorders may result from nutritional deficiencies or decreased bone marrow function, both of which cause defective blood formation. The least severe but most common of llicse anemias results from an inadequate amount of iron required for red cell formation. The result is inicntrvtic hypochromic anemia. Ahout IDO milligrams of iitni per day are needed for hemoglobin manufacture, About S5 f of this iron tnay be obtained from the iron released by breakdown of older red cells. However, some iron is always lost in the excretions and thus must be made up hy the diet. Where there is chrome blood loss, as in cases of ulcers or hemorrhoids, or where the iron may not be properly absorbed from foods, the need for iron may he greater. Milk, cereals, and many re lined foods, unless artilicially supplemented, do not contain much iron. Better sources of iron include meat and leafy vegetables. Iron deticiency is not uncommon. 

Lactoferrin occurs in high concentrations in human milk. It has high affinity for iron, and it may have a bacteriostatic function in depriving microbes of essential iron required for their growth. It supplies iron to intestinal tissue and probably has a nutritional role in supplying iron to newly born infants. 

Iron-deficiency anemia results from dietary intake of iron that is inadequate to meet normal requirements (nutritional iron deficiency), blood loss, or interference with iron absorption. Most nutritional iron deficiency in the U.S. is mild. More severe iron deficiency is usually the result of blood loss, either from the GI tract, or in women, from the uterus. Impaired absorption of iron from food results most often from partial gastrectomy or malabsorption in the small intestine. Finally, erythropoietin therapy can result in a functional iron deficiency. 

The average dose for the treatment of iron-deficiency anemia is about 200 mg of iron/day (2—3 mg/kg/day), given in three equal doses of 65 mg. Children weighing 15—30 kg can take half the average adult dose, while small children and infants can tolerate relatively large doses of iron (e.g., 5 mg/kg). The dose used is a compromise between the desired therapeutic action and the adverse effects. Prophylaxis and mild nutritional iron deficiency may be managed with modest doses. When the object is the prevention of iron deficiency in pregnant women, for example, doses of 15—30 mg of iron/day are adequate to meet the 3-6 mg daily requirement of the last 2 trimesters. 

In view of the conservation of iron by the body, estimation of requirement is difficult. Heath and Patek have calculated, from estimates of the iron required to build body tissue and to replace loss, that the total amount needed by males from birth to 21 years is 3.148 g., and by females from birth to 47 years, 12.222 g. These figures do not represent dietary requirement. Moore and Dubach have suggested that the normal adult male must assimilate 0.5 to 1 mg. of iron daily to maintain balance, the adult female about 1 to 2 mg. daily. If only 10 % of the iron in food is absorbed, the diet should furnish 10 to 15 mg. of iron daily. Recommended allowances of the Food and Nutrition Board are of this order (Table 1). 

D Altered Nutrition Less than Body Requirements related to lack ol iron, iolicadd, other (speafy) in the diet... 

FAO/WHO (Food and Agriculture Organization/World Health Organization) (1988) Requirements of Vitamin A, Iron, Folate and Vitamin B12. Joint Expert Consultation Report. FAO Food and Nutrition Series 23, FAO, Rome. 

In the human body, iron is present as Fe + and Fe " ". About 10 mg of iron per day are required for optimal human nutrition. As some iron is lost from the body each day, a... 

Metals are extremely important not only for chemical reactions but also for the health and welfare of plants and animals. Some examples of metals required for good nutrition, even in trace amounts, are iron, copper, cobalt, potassium, sodium, and zinc. Other metals—for example, mercury, lead, cadmium, barium, beryllium, radium, and uranium—are very toxic. Some metals at the atomic and ionic levels are crucial for the oxidation process that metabolizes carbohydrates for all living cells. 

M. O. Schultze stated that cobalt is an essential element for the nutrition of sheep and cattle. Although it is not essential for the growth of the herbage plants, they nevertheless take it up from the soil and make it available for animal nutrition (106) To prevent anemia, even when the diet contains adequate amounts of iron, a small amount of cobalt (not more than four micrograms per day per kilogram of body weight of sheep) is required (124). It is an important constituent of vitamin B 2. 

Fixation of N2 by Clostridium pasteurianum and a few other species was recognized by Winogradsky4 in 1893. Subsequent nutritional studies indicated that both iron and molybdenum were required for the process. Inhibition by CO and NzO was observed. While ammonia was the suggested product, the possibility remained that more oxidized compounds such... 

TRACE ELEMENT (Mlcronutrient). An element essential to plant and animal nutrition in trace concentration, i.e., minute fractions of 1% (1000 ppm or less). Plants requite iron, copper, boron, zinc, manganese, potassium, molybdenum, sodium, and chlorine. Animals require iron, copper, manganese, cobalt, selenium, and potassium. Such elements are also called micronutrients. Do not confuse with tracer. 

Iron is a nutritive trace element whose role as a limiting agent for algal growth has been demonstrated in areas where certain Phaeocystis species (e.g., P. antarctica) are also commonly found. Viral lysis will affect the absolute concentration of iron that is potentially available for biological requirement, but may also directly affect the spe-ciation and bioavailability as iron is mostly com-plexed with organic ligands and colloids. 

Even if the diet in Norway must be considered nutritionally adequate, generally covering the required essential nutrients, there could in certain groups in the population exist an insufficient supply of certain minerals. An increased knowledge about the different minerals in our diet is important, and a lot of work is done in many areas, e.g. on iron, zinc, selenium and chromium. 

B. About 20 elements are called minerals. They also play a role in human nutrition. The minerals known to be essential for good health are calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sulfur, sodium, chlorine, magnesium, iron, manganese, copper, iodine, cobalt, fluorine, and zinc. Traces of sihcon, boron, arsenic, strontium, aluminum, bromine, molybdenum, selenium, and nickel may also be required. These elements are eaten in the form of their compounds, but it does not matter much which compounds. 

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