Question

Case: Hanna is a 23-year-old graduate student. She has been feeling tired and run-down all semester.  She goes to the health center, where blood tests indicate that she has iron deficiency anemia.  She has been following a vegetarian diet.  

Couple of highlights to focus on in this assignment: 

1. There are two kinds of iron.  What is the difference?

2. How does bioavailability of the iron source improve absorption?

3. What food/nutrient pairings can help or hinder iron absorption?  

All these factors contribute to the iron status in a person's body.  Remember that the body is a fine-tuned mechanical and chemical microcosm existing in a homeostatic balance--everything we do and put into our bodies can affect us.