Define Excretion of Iron in Human Body?
Our body has a limited capacity to excrete iron once it has been absorbed. Daily losses in adult man are between 0.9 to 1.05 mg. About 0.08 mg is lost via urine, 0.2 mg via skin, and remaining in the faeces. Women in the reproductive age lose more iron owing to menstrual cycles. Iron is unique among the minerals, that once absorbed the body holds onto it, and therefore, major regulation of iron balance is through absorption of iron rather than through excretion. The percentage of iron absorbed can vary from less than 1% to more than 50%, depending on the food eaten and the response of the regulatory mechanisms that reflects body's physiological need for iron. However, this regulatory mechanism is not perfect across the entire range of intakes.