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9.4.2.1 Iron
Iron is obtained from green leafy vegetables, dried nuts, beans, peas, egg yolk, red
meat, kidney, and liver. Iron is one of the most abundant metals present in the body
and is essential for life. As a component of haemoglobin and myoglobin, it is
involved in the transfer of oxygen between blood and tissues. In most of the cells,
iron is present as a component of enzymes involved in oxidation-reduction reactions. At birth of an infant, large amount of iron (246 mg) accumulates in the body.
This iron storage depends on the iron intake of the mother during pregnancy. The
greatest demand for iron is during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The developing
fetus requires about 20–30 mg/day of iron in the pregnant woman. The iron in diet
comes in the form of haem and non-haem. Haem has a higher bioavailability and
can be found in meat, fish, poultry, and milk (Abbaspour et al. 2014). Non-haem is
found in varying degrees in plant products. Iron deficiency leads to hypochromic
microcytic anaemia. Factors that reduce iron absorption are the surgical removal
of the upper small intestine, subtotal gastrectomy, chronic infections, achlorhydria
and anti-acid therapy, excess of phosphates and oxalates, diarrhoea and malabsorption. In the case of deficient intake of iron, blood loss or increased iron
demand, iron deposits in the body depletes, and anaemia occurs. Symptoms
include pallor, weakness, irritability, fissures of the angles of the mouth, heart
murmurs and indigestion (Lopez et al. 2016). Iron excess leads to the development
of cirrhosis, skin pigmentation, and hemochromatosis. In the United States of
America, 5% of men and 2% of women are suffering from anaemia (JohnsonWimbley and Graham 2011).
9.4.2.2 Chloride
Sources of chloride include cornbread, potato chips, green olives, and animal products. Chloride is necessary to maintain the composition of blood and to the formation of hydrochloric acid. It regulates the acid-base balance and the osmotic pressure.
Deficiency symptoms include alkalosis and failure to thrive in infants. Toxicity
symptoms include an increase in the extracellular volume and hypertension
(Shrimanker and Bhattarai 2019; Sur and Shah 2019).
9.4.2.3 Cobalt
Intestinal bacteria synthesize cobalt. It takes part in the formation of vitamin B 12 . It
is stored in the body in amounts of 1–2 mg. The liver stores enough cobalt for
3–4 years as hydroxyl cobalamine and methyl cobalamine. The daily requirements
are 2–3 microgram (Angelova et al. 2014).
M. Akram et al.
9.4.2.1 Iron
Iron is obtained from green leafy vegetables, dried nuts, beans, peas, egg yolk, red
meat, kidney, and liver. Iron is one of the most abundant metals present in the body
and is essential for life. As a component of haemoglobin and myoglobin, it is
involved in the transfer of oxygen between blood and tissues. In most of the cells,
iron is present as a component of enzymes involved in oxidation-reduction reactions. At birth of an infant, large amount of iron (246 mg) accumulates in the body.
This iron storage depends on the iron intake of the mother during pregnancy. The
greatest demand for iron is during the last 3 months of pregnancy. The developing
fetus requires about 20–30 mg/day of iron in the pregnant woman. The iron in diet
comes in the form of haem and non-haem. Haem has a higher bioavailability and
can be found in meat, fish, poultry, and milk (Abbaspour et al. 2014). Non-haem is
found in varying degrees in plant products. Iron deficiency leads to hypochromic
microcytic anaemia. Factors that reduce iron absorption are the surgical removal
of the upper small intestine, subtotal gastrectomy, chronic infections, achlorhydria
and anti-acid therapy, excess of phosphates and oxalates, diarrhoea and malabsorption. In the case of deficient intake of iron, blood loss or increased iron
demand, iron deposits in the body depletes, and anaemia occurs. Symptoms
include pallor, weakness, irritability, fissures of the angles of the mouth, heart
murmurs and indigestion (Lopez et al. 2016). Iron excess leads to the development
of cirrhosis, skin pigmentation, and hemochromatosis. In the United States of
America, 5% of men and 2% of women are suffering from anaemia (JohnsonWimbley and Graham 2011).
9.4.2.2 Chloride
Sources of chloride include cornbread, potato chips, green olives, and animal products. Chloride is necessary to maintain the composition of blood and to the formation of hydrochloric acid. It regulates the acid-base balance and the osmotic pressure.
Deficiency symptoms include alkalosis and failure to thrive in infants. Toxicity
symptoms include an increase in the extracellular volume and hypertension
(Shrimanker and Bhattarai 2019; Sur and Shah 2019).
9.4.2.3 Cobalt
Intestinal bacteria synthesize cobalt. It takes part in the formation of vitamin B 12 . It
is stored in the body in amounts of 1–2 mg. The liver stores enough cobalt for
3–4 years as hydroxyl cobalamine and methyl cobalamine. The daily requirements
are 2–3 microgram (Angelova et al. 2014).
M. Akram et al.