Tag: Iron recycling

The body is unable to excrete excess amounts of iron actively. In fact, iron homeostasis is a tightly controlled system where absorption is regulated to match the body's limited, passive iron losses. This unique aspect of mineral metabolism is crucial for understanding how the body manages iron and what happens when this delicate balance is disrupted, which leads to iron overload.

The human spleen recycles approximately 24 mg of iron daily from senescent red blood cells, which is far more than the 1-2 mg of iron typically absorbed from the diet. This fact confirms that the spleen is high in iron and serves a critical role in the body's iron economy. It is a major processing and storage site for this essential mineral, crucial for overall health.

According to the Minerals Education Coalition, iron is the cheapest metal and fourth most abundant element in Earth's crust. But for industrial and dietary use, where does most of our iron come from? This guide explores the diverse origins of this essential element, covering the dominant industrial sources and vital dietary forms.

The body is a semi-closed system for iron, with no active mechanism for its excretion. Instead, what breaks down iron in the body involves a complex, tightly regulated process of recycling, absorption, and controlled loss to prevent both deficiency and overload.