Colture arboree ed agrosistemi forestali ornamentali e paesaggistici. Ciclo xxiii

Abstract

Iron (Fe) is one ofthe most important micronutrients in the human diet anda large segment of the world's population does not ingest enough iron to meet daily dietary requirements. Therefore, Fe deficiency and Fe deficiency anemia (IDA) are estimated to affect 30-50% of the world's population (Vasconcelos and Grusak, 2006), being especially prevalent in developing countries where food intakes can be severely low. In sorne populations, Fe deficiency is estimated to reach 85% (Kapur et al., 2002). The iron present in the human body is mostly in a stored form, and losses are usually minimal. However, dietary intake of Fe is needed to replace the Fe lost by passage of stool and urine, shedding of skin, and sweating. After exercising, a person can loose up to 1 mg of iron (Vellar, 1968), and on average the looses represent around 0,9 mg of iron per da y for an adult mal e and 0,8 ing per day for and adult female (DeMaeyer et al., 1989).