Interaction of Iron with Other Nutrient
In animals, ingestion of very high levels of zinc has been shown to induce anemia; copper also to be involved in this interaction.
At the present time, however, there is no evidence that humans are ingesting sufficient zinc to induce anemia.
On the other hand, excessive iron supplementation is often a practice among humans and this excessive intake of nonheme iron may have detrimental effect on zinc nutrition.
It is believe that the basis of interaction between these two minerals is their competition for some portion of a common absorptive pathway.
As a general rule, excessive concentration of one divalent ion in the gastrointestinal tract may inhibit absorption of other divalent ions.
Conversely, a deficiency of one divalent ion may enhance the absorption of others.
At the metabolic level, an interrelationship appears to exist between iron and copper because the role of copper containing ceruplasmin as feroxidase.
Also ascorbic acid and iron are interrelated on that activation of several deoxygenases by ferrous iron appears dependent on the presence of ascorbate.
Interaction of Iron with Other Nutrient
Other article: Food Sources of Iron
