Absorption of vitamins and minerals - Iron

3 important questions on Absorption of vitamins and minerals - Iron

How is iron absorbed?

1. Receptors for protein bound iron (heme/lactoferrin)
2. Divalent metal transporter (DMT-1), iron H+ symporter

How is iron excreted in the body?

There are no specific mechanisms for iron excretion, but when iron stores are high the liver secretes hepcidin which downregulates DMT-1 and transferrin receptors

What happens in iron deficiency?

Anemia can be caused by malabsorption, dietary deficiency, or excessive loss of iron

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