IRON AND FOOD

PLAN

The amount of iron you need? Iron in food. Hem and non hem iron. Iron in plants. Iron in animals.

The amount of iron you need?

Iron in food

Iron in food

Iron in food

Heme and non-heme iron

Heme iron: iron atom contained in the center of a large organic ring. Present in the hemoglobin and myoglobin that is in blood => iron in foods from animals is heme iron. High absorption at all times.

Non-heme iron: iron in food from plants, eggs,... The body absorbs more when it is low in iron and less when it already has plenty of iron.

Hydroponics

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil, since plants absorb essential mineral nutrients as inorganic ions in water

Pb : roots are the only source of iron => May imply iron chlorosis (that makes plant die)

Differences between plants

Barley is resistant to iron deficiency and grows well on iron rich soils

Rice is sensitive to iron deficiency

Solution : Addition of mugeneic acid to barley roots in hydroponics stimulates iron uptake 30 X

Iron toxicity in rice

In Africa, iron (Fe) toxicity is widespread in rice

Daily eaten food Soils derived from iron-rich rocks

inundated with water Fe III reduced to Fe II, which is readily

taken up by rice roots Brown spots Brown-orange colouring of the leaves