Malik Zoha Imtiaz, Ghafoor Muhammad Umer, Shah Syed Hassan Bin Usman, Abid Juweria, Farooq Umar, Ahmad Abdul Momin Rizwan
Department of Public Health, Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Al Sadd Health Centre, Primary Healthcare Corporation, Doha, Qatar.
Front Nutr. 2025 Aug 13;12:1637316. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2025.1637316. eCollection 2025.
Iron is a vital micronutrient, involved in numerous cellular functions including DNA synthesis, oxygen transport, energy generation, and immunity enhancement. It has unique redox properties that make it necessary for multiple metabolic reactions. However, the same property warrants its tight regulation as well. Despite its widely acknowledged role in biological sciences, iron deficiency remains one of the leading micronutrient deficiencies across the globe. Understanding iron's multifaceted roles, mechanisms of systemic regulation, and nutriture assessment, can better guide public health interventions aimed at restoring iron status in at-risk population groups. This review aims at providing a comprehensive analysis of iron's dietary sources, metabolic role, physiological functioning, absorption enhancers and inhibitors, and systemic regulation, such as hepcidin's role in iron homeostasis. It further evaluates commonly utilized iron assessment indicators including serum ferritin, transferrin saturation, soluble transferrin receptor, and hemoglobin their uses and limitations, particularly in the context of inflammation. Iron's metabolic roles are closely tied to its bioavailability and transportation within the body. Nutrient interactions, regulator pathway dysregulation, and dietary pathways, all significantly affect iron status. Available iron assessment indicators are valuable but research is required to interpret findings in inflammatory states. Advancement of integrated iron assessment strategies and metabolic roles can help address iron-related disorders more effectively.
铁是一种至关重要的微量营养素，参与众多细胞功能，包括DNA合成、氧气运输、能量生成和免疫增强。它具有独特的氧化还原特性，这使其成为多种代谢反应所必需的。然而，同样的特性也需要对其进行严格调控。尽管铁在生物科学中的作用已得到广泛认可，但缺铁仍然是全球主要的微量营养素缺乏症之一。了解铁的多方面作用、全身调节机制和营养评估，能够更好地指导旨在恢复高危人群铁状态的公共卫生干预措施。本综述旨在全面分析铁的膳食来源、代谢作用、生理功能、吸收促进剂和抑制剂以及全身调节，如铁调素在铁稳态中的作用。它还进一步评估了常用的铁评估指标，包括血清铁蛋白、转铁蛋白饱和度、可溶性转铁蛋白受体和血红蛋白，及其用途和局限性，特别是在炎症背景下。铁的代谢作用与其在体内的生物利用度和运输密切相关。营养相互作用、调节途径失调和饮食途径，均会显著影响铁状态。现有的铁评估指标很有价值，但需要开展研究以解释炎症状态下的研究结果。综合铁评估策略和代谢作用的进展有助于更有效地解决与铁相关的疾病。
