Why Iron May Pose Danger To Our Body?
December 21, 2007
Every living cell-including those of plants and animals, and even bacteria needs iron and in the same amount. When an organism such as a bacterium invades the tissues of an animal, it must get iron from its host or it cannot survive. For several decades it has been known that a sudden and consistent drop in the amount of iron found in the blood of a host animal occurs during bacterial invasion.
This reduction in blood iron has resulted from decreased iron absorption by the host’s intestines and an increased storage in his liver. This ability to withhold iron from invading microorganisms is called “nutritional immunityâ€.
It is unlikely that this unusual requirement from for iron holds the key to our success in resisting infections caused by microorganisms. The delicate balance exists between human tissue and microorganism’s growth is enhanced; if the metal is removed the host’s defense is strengthened.
People who have larger than normal amount of iron in their blood are more likely to develop a disease than persons with normal levels of iron when both are exposed to the same disease-causing microorganism.
Levels of iron higher than normal are found in persons suffering from liver-cell-destroying diseases such as viral hepatitis, other blood-cell-destroying disease includes malaria and sickle-cell disease, and in new born babies who have received an excess of iron from the mother’s blood. These individuals are more susceptible to disease caused by microorganisms such as bacteria.
In older persons slight changes in blood iron levels that might allow an inactive bacterial infection to become active and develop a serious disease would be very important. This may be the reason for the development of diseases such as tuberculosis late in life.
If we could better understand how this nutritional immunity functions we might be able to prevent sudden changes in blood in levels or to bolster the body’s defense against invasions by microorganism.
It is still best to eat balance diet and stick on vitamins and mineral supplements to boost our body’s defense system. Clean living and sound healthy body make us enjoy life better. Healthy living is the key to happiness.
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