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Notes:
Total body iron averages approximately 3.8 g in men and 2.3 g in women, which is equivalent to 50 mg/kg body weight for a 75-kg man (16,17) and 42 mg/kg body weight for a 55-kg woman (18), respectively.
When the body has sufficient iron to meet its needs, most iron ( more than 70%) may be classified as functional iron; the remainder is storage or transport iron.
More than 80% of functional iron in the body is found in the red blood cell mass as Hb, and the rest is found in myoglobin and intracellular respiratory enzymes (e.g., cytochromes).
Iron is stored primarily as ferritin, but some is stored as hemosiderin. Iron is transported in blood by the protein transferrin. The total amount of iron in the body is determined by intake, loss, and storage of this mineral (16).
[16]. Bothwell TH. Overview and mechanisms of iron regulation. Nutr Rev 1995;53(9):237-45.
[17]. Bothwell TH, Chadton RW, Cook JD, Finch CA. Iron metabolism in man. Oxford, UK: Blackwell Scientific Publications, 1979.
[18]. Bothwell TH, Charlton RW. Iron deficiency in women. Washington, DC: The Nutrition Foundation, 1981.
