Diet for Iron Deficiency: Metabolism – Bioavailability – Diagnostics

Description:

Around a quarter of the world’s population is affected by iron deficiency, and women of child bearing age as well as children and adolescents are considered a particular risk group. This reference book deals with the latest scientific findings concerning the iron supply of the human organism with natural foods. It dispels the misconception that plant iron is less valuable than animal iron by presenting the absorption of iron from plant foods via a newly discovered metabolic pathway. From this, new points of view can be derived for vegetarians and vegans, who until now have belonged to the risk group. Furthermore, it is dedicated to forward-looking possibilities of diagnosing iron deficiency and describes modern concepts for determining the bioavailability of iron in food. New findings on the biochemistry of iron in brain metabolism, the description of the different reference values of the international professional societies and practical advice for special diets, risk groups and age groups as well as cooking recipes with simple information on iron intake complete the work. The book is aimed at nutritionists and medical practitioners, nutrition and food scientists, dieticians, pharmacists and sports scientists.

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The Building Blocks of Life

Preface

Iron deficiency is the most common deficiency disease in the world, even though a whopping 5% of the element is present in over 100 different minerals in the continental crust, mostly as oxide, oxide hydroxide, sulfide, or carbonate. This has always left me in a strong state of astonishment, and I have wondered what reasons could possibly be responsible. Within the primary nutritional goals of the World Health Organization (WHO), one of the top priorities in the near future since the 2012 World Health Assembly (WHA) in Geneva is the global reduction of anemia, most of which is caused by iron deficiency. Reason enough, therefore, for chemists, biochemists, and food scientists to concern themselves intensively with this goal and the topic.

Much has happened in iron biochemistry recently, and about 20 years ago hepcidin entered the scene, a central regulator of iron balance whose function was previously unknown. Numerous iron enzymes have now been precisely characterized and their function understood in detail, including in brain metabolism. The mechanisms of iron homeostasis in the organism have been described in more detail, and the properties of ferritin in food and its resorption in the organism now appear in a new light.

In this reference book, I would like to approach the complex subject from the food chemistry and biochemistry side, where I myself have many years of research experience, but of course not lose sight of the overall picture. Therefore, new nutritional aspects and diagnostic topics from clinical chemistry and laboratory medicine will also be discussed here.

Since my doctoral thesis at the University of Münster and the habilitation period at the University of Bonn in the 1990s, I have been concerned with questions of the bioavailability of toxic and essential elements in food and their significance for humans. Within my various research groups, the clarification of the bonding forms of the elements was a particular focus of interest. The entire periodic table was always in focus, since the individual elements and of course their species influence each other during absorption in the human organism. The declared aim was a multielement species analysis in order to obtain the most complete possible insight into the binding relationships in food.

In order to work on this interdisciplinary topic, it was necessary to master an extensive spectrum of methods, ranging from the selective determination of the various elements in the trace range to powerful separation methods and the modern structure elucidation of complexing agents and proteins by high-resolution mass spectrometry.

Furthermore, I have been working at the Research Centre Jülich for many years. The outstanding and forward-looking science managers at the center have understood very well how to further orient this large research institute with over 7000 employees towards the pressing issues of the future, which of course also include improving the global food situation.

The bioeconomy is now one of the three focal areas, alongside research activities in the fields of energy and information. Within the bioeconomy, securing the world’s food supply with high-quality food plays a central role, and plant-based foods in particular are increasingly coming into focus, as their production can be far more climate friendly than is possible with animal products. The raw materials and nutrition turnarounds, climate protection, and the energy turnaround are global challenges that affect all areas of life.

These topics are also being given increasing consideration in my lectures at the University of Bonn, where they are meeting with an excellent response. Due to clever and sustainable strategies of the governing bodies, a motivating spirit of optimism in many areas of the alma mater and also by taking into account these new interdisciplinary, global contexts, the University of Bonn was able to win six clusters of excellence in the federal government’s excellence strategy, more than any other university in Germany, and has been a university of excellence since 2019.

For example, the joint excellence cluster “PhenoRob” of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Bonn and the Research Centre Jülich is investigating the potential uses of robotics for sustainable crop production. This is an important new research unit that will also improve the production of high-quality plant-based foods with a high content of essential minerals, trace elements, and other micronutrients in the future. These can then be used against the “hidden hunger” in the world, including the “hidden iron hunger.”

Because through cleverly composed, high-quality foods, you can powerfully counteract an iron deficiency and avoid it. This is what I would like to show you in this book. There are new and exciting scientific findings here, which I will discuss in detail.

Furthermore, it is important that you do not fall into the iron trap. Due to the predominant consumption of quite healthy foods, which unfortunately contain very little iron, this can happen quickly. This happens more often than you think, especially with nutrition-conscious people, a hitherto underestimated point of view, which I describe in the book with examples, and which surprised me quite a bit.

I have garnished these central messages with many new scientific findings from iron biochemistry and the bioavailability of the element from food, which of course cannot be complete, as they would go beyond the scope of the book. Furthermore, there are many references to new publications on the subject, which invite professional deepening of the material.

Simple rules for iron supply with natural foods must not be missing even in a reference book. Therefore, the most important facts are summarized in concise rules of thumb at the end of the book.

In the event of a suspected iron deficiency or illness, this book is of course no substitute for a visit to the doctor, and at no point are recommendations for therapy made. However, it does show simple ways in which one can significantly improve one’s iron status through the targeted selection of natural foods.

Plant iron is much more valuable than previously thought. This is a central message of this book.

For reasons of better readability, the generic masculine is predominantly used in this book. This always implies both forms, thus including the female form.

Table of contents :
Preface
Contents
About the Author
1: Introduction
References
2: Biochemistry of Iron
2.1 The Heme Group
2.2 Myoglobin and Hemoglobin
2.3 Ferritin and Hemosiderin
2.4 Transferrin
2.5 Iron Enzymes
2.6 Iron in Brain Metabolism
2.7 Iron in the Immune System
References
3: Systemic Iron Homeostasis
3.1 Iron Absorption and Recycling
3.2 Molecular Mechanism of Iron Reduction
3.3 Regulation by Hepcidin
References
4: Anemia and Iron Deficiency
4.1 Global Issues
4.2 Other Causes
References
5: Diagnostics of Iron Deficiency States
5.1 Basic Diagnostics
5.2 Further Diagnostics
References
6: The Iron Requirement
6.1 International Reference Values
6.2 Nutrient Reference Value for the Daily Intake of Iron
6.3 Upper Limit of Iron Intake
References
7: Bioavailability
7.1 Species Analysis of Iron in Foodstuffs
7.2 Dietary Components and Homeostasis
7.3 Properties and Uptake of Ferritin
References
8: Diet for Iron Deficiency
8.1 Iron Content in Foodstuffs
8.2 The Iron Negative List
8.3 Examples of Dishes Containing Iron
8.4 Rules of Thumb for an Optimal Iron Supply
No Predominant Diet with Foods from the Iron Negative List
Additionally Increase the Bioavailability of Iron
Pulses as a Staple Food
Cereal Products, Nuts and Seeds on the Menu
Meat Contains More Iron Than Fish
Green Smoothies Always with Legumes
References
9: Iron and Special Diets
9.1 Vegetarian and Vegan Diet
Designation and Information on Different Diets
9.2 Childhood, Youth and Old Age
9.3 Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Period
9.4 Sports Activities
References
10: Iron Supplementation
10.1 Medicinal Products
10.2 Food Supplements
References
Index