To receive more information about up-to-date research on
micronutrients, sign up for the free, semi-annual LPI Research
Newsletter here. Iron has the longest and best described history
among all the micronutrients. It is a key element in the
metabolism of almost all living organisms. In humans, iron is an
essential component of hundreds of proteins and enzymes (1, 2).
Oxygen transport and storage Heme is an iron-containing compound
found in a number of biologically important molecules.
Hemoglobin and myoglobin are heme-containing proteins that are
involved in the transport and storage of oxygen. Hemoglobin is
the primary protein found in red blood cells and represents
about two thirds of the body's iron. The vital role of
hemoglobin in transporting oxygen from the lungs to the rest of
the body is derived from its unique ability to acquire oxygen
rapidly during the short time it spends in contact with the
lungs and to release oxygen as needed during its circulation
through the tissues. Myoglobin functions in t