Interactions of iron with other nutrient

Nutrient utilization can be influenced by interactions with other nutrients or food constituents.

Copper and iron may interact in numerous ways. Anemia often accompanied by accumulation of iron in the liver. In animal study researchers, found that an excess of copper produced anemia in the animals.

Excessive of iron in the form of inorganic iron salt decreased copper status and in time resulted in clinical signs of copper deficiency.

In another animals study, ingestion of very high levels of zinc has been shown to induce anemia. At the present time, however, there is no evidence that humans are ingesting sufficient zinc to induce anemia.

On the other hand, excessive iron supplementation and this excessive intake of nonheme iron may have detrimental effect on zinc nutrition.

It is believe that the basis of interaction between the two minerals is their competition for some portion of a common absorptive pathway.

As a general rule, excessive concentration of one divalent ion in the gastrointestinal tract may inhibit absorption of other divalent ions. Conversely, a deficiency of one divalent ion may enhance the absorption of others.

Several compounds known as chelators or ligands may bind with nonheme iron to either inhibit or enhance its absorption. Chelators are small organic compounds that form a complex with a metal ion.

Ligands are compound that also bind or complex with minerals.

Also ascorbic acid and iron are interrelated on that activation of several deoxygenases by ferrous iron appears dependent on the presence of ascorbate.

It is also believed that stimulatory effect of ascorbic acid on iron absorption is exerted by both its reducing capacity, thereby keeping iron in the more easily absorbed ferrous (+II) form, and its chelating properties, keeping iron in a soluble, absorbable form.
Interactions of iron with other nutrient