How Your Body Recycles Iron — and Why It Matters for Your Health
How Your Body Recycles Iron — and Why It Matters for Your Health
Did you know your body is an expert recycler?
Not just with paper and plastic — your body recycles iron every single day to keep you healthy and energetic, with good oxygenation and immune health.
Why Is Iron Important?
Makes haemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen.
Produces new red blood cells.
Supports your immune system and energy levels.
How does your body recycle iron?
Red blood cells (RBCs) live about 120 days.
When they get old, special immune cells called macrophages break them down.
Iron is extracted from these cells and either stored or sent back into the bloodstream.
It binds to transferrin, a transport protein.
Iron is delivered to the bone marrow, where new red blood cells are made!
Recycled Iron is the largest source of iron repletion?
Your body recycles 20–25 mg of iron each day.
That’s over 90% of your daily iron needs.
Only 1–2 mg typically comes from food (see blog on Dietary Iron for more on this)
You are probably surprised to learn that your body depends more on recycling than eating iron-rich foods for iron, but the intake of iron rich food still plays a very essential role
So why do we end up with Iron Deficiency or Anaemia
Sometimes, certain health conditions can block this recycling process, even if you have enough stored iron:
Chronic inflammation
Infections
Nutrient imbalance
Inadequate diet
Gut and liver disease
And many more- it is a complex system of checks and balances to get your iron level correct
What Can You Do?
Speak to us at The Nutrient Naturopath about the complexities of iron absorption, recycling and overall health – BOOK NOW