HealthyPIG Magazine

低鐵唔止係營養問題，仲可能係身體慢性警號

鐵質（iron）係人體不可或缺嘅微量元素，主要負責攜帶氧氣嘅血紅素（hemoglobin）製造、能量代謝、免疫調節等。當鐵質長期攝取不足、吸收差、或失去過多，就會導致「低鐵」（iron deficiency）甚至發展成「缺鐵性貧血」（iron deficiency anemia）。本文將從臨床醫學與分子生理角度，深入探討低鐵嘅成因、病理機制、生物轉化過程，以及其對人體造成嘅連鎖影響。

Iron is an essential element for various metabolic processes in the body, including DNA synthesis, electron transport, and oxygen transport. Unlike other minerals, iron levels in the body are controlled solely through absorption. The mechanism of iron excretion is an unregulated process through sweat loss, menstruation, shedding of hair and skin cells, and rapid turnover and excretion of intestinal cells. In the human body, iron is found mainly in red blood cells in the form of the heme compound hemoglobin (about 2 g of iron in men and about 1.5 g in women), with smaller amounts in storage compounds (ferritin and hemosiderin), and as Myoglobin form is found in muscle cells. Iron is also found bound to proteins (heme) and non-heme enzymes (cytochromes and catalases) involved in redox reactions and electron transfer.
In addition, approximately 2.2% of total body iron is found in the so-called labile pool, a poorly defined reactive iron pool that forms reactive oxygen species via Fenton reactions in complex with drug classes called chelators . Iron chelators treat iron overload, a condition often caused by blood transfusion therapy used to treat thalassemia and other anemias.

What is iron? Iron is an important mineral involved in various body functions. This is essential to provide energy for daily life. About one-third ...

What is iron deficiency anemia? Iron-deficiency anemia is a type of anemia that occurs if you don't have enough iron in your body. It is the mo...