NUTR 14 Blood Health

Question 1

What is in blood?

Answer 1

Plasma (55%) (water with electrolytes)
Red blood cells (erythrocytes)
White blood cells
(less than 1 %)

Question 2

What does blood do?

Answer 2

Transport oxygen, nutrients
Remove waste
carries platelets for clotting
carries white blood cells (immune system)

Question 3

What is unhealthy blood”?

Answer 3

Doesn’t transport oxygen or nutrients because of problems with red blood cells

Question 4

What are red blood cells?

Answer 4

Contain hemoglobin
hemoglobin binds oxygen, delivers it to cells
too few RBC- anemia

Question 5

What is iron?

Answer 5

A trace mineral 
Part of hemoglobin 
- oxygen carrying proteins 
Part of myglobin 
  - carry oxygen into muscle cells

Question 6

Where do we find heme iron in the diet?

Answer 6

Heme iron - animal based foods - absorbed it the best

Question 7

Where do we find non heme iron?

Answer 7

beans, lentils, grains

iron added to flour and breakfast cereals

Question 8

What is the RDA for women and men

Answer 8

Women (19-50) need more iron than men

Question 9

How do we get the most out of non-heme iron?

Answer 9

Vitamin C
Meat (meat protein factor)
Gastric acid (Fe 3+) to (Fe 2+)

Question 10

What things inhibit absorption of non heme iron?

Answer 10

Calcium
Phytates
Tannins
Soy bean protein

Question 11

How do calcium and phytates inhibit absorption of iron?

Answer 11

By binding to iron and make it harder for us to absorb

Question 12

How much iron do we absorb from a mixed diet?

Answer 12

18 %

Question 13

How much iron do we absorb from a vegan diet?

Answer 13

10 %

Question 14

What does iron do in hemoglobin?

Answer 14

Iron binds oxygen molecules to hemoglobin

Question 15

What picture can you use to visualize iron and heme group?

Answer 15

heme group is the nest and the iron is the nest

Question 16

What does iron have to do with hemoglobin?

Answer 16

Your body can’t make hemoglobin without iron and you can’t transport oxygen without iron

Question 17

What does zinc do in creating hemoglobin?

Answer 17

Zinc is a cofactor in an enzyme needed to create hemoglobin

Question 18

What is a myoglobin?

Answer 18

a red protein containing heme that carries and stores oxygen in muscle cells. It is structurally similar to a subunit of hemoglobin.

Question 19

What does iron do in myoglobin?

Answer 19

Oxygen in myoglobin transports oxygen in muscles
Found in enzymes that are needed to metabolize energy from CHO, fat and protein
Need in cytochromes in the ETC

Question 20

Why do women need more iron?

Answer 20

Because of menstruation

Question 21

Why do pregnant women need more iron?

Answer 21

Making the cells of the baby

Making more blood cells requires more iron

Question 22

From what place do we lose iron first?

Answer 22

Iron stores and iron in plasma and then iron in RBC

Question 23

What are the stages of low iron?

Answer 23

Stage 1: Low iron stores 
  - low ferritin (iron storage protein) levels 
Stage 2: low iron transport 
 - low transferrin proteins levels 
Stage 3: low hemoglobin levels 
-iron deficiency anemia

Question 24

What are the symptoms of not getting enough iron?

Answer 24

Fatigue, weakness, headache, unmotivated, lethargic
Decreased mental capacity 
decreased resistance to infections 
high maternal mortality 
Pica (appetite for non food substances)

Question 25

How is iron deficiency around the world?

Answer 25

Most common deficiency in both rich and poor countries

30 % of the world have iron deficiency