I-Iron ngumaminerali osiza ukudala amaprotheni nama-enzymekanye nokuhambisa umoya-mpilo emzimbeni wonke. Amaphesenti angama-70 atholakala kumaseli abomvu egazi, njengengxenye ye-hemoglobin, naku-myoglobin kumaseli emisipha.
Kunezinhlobo ezimbili zensimbi: i-heme ne-non-heme. I-Heme kulula ukumunca, kepha itholakala kuphela ekudleni okuvela ezilwaneni, njengenyama nenhlanzi. Amaqanda, imidumba, imifino, nokunye ukudla okuqinisiwe kuqukethe uhlobo olungeyona i-heme.
Isibonelelo esinconywayo sansuku zonke sabesilisa singama-milligram ayi-8. Isidingo sabesifazane siyehluka ngokuya ngokuthi ngabe i-postmenopausal (8 mg), i-premenopausal (18 mg), noma ikhulelwe (27 mg). Abantu abadla imifino badinga insimbi ephindwe izikhathi eziyi-1.8, ngoba lokho okutholwe kwimifino (okungeyona i-heme) kutholakala kancane nge-bioava kunalokho okutholwe ezilwaneni (heme).
Ukushoda kwe-Iron kuyinkinga ejwayelekile yokudla okunempilo emhlabeni wonke. Ingozi iphezulu ezinganeni, kwabesifazane abakhulelwe, kwabesifazane abasesikhathini, nasekunikelweni kwegazi njalo. Izimpawu zokushoda kwe-iron anemia ukukhathala, isiyezi, nekhanda.
Ukweqiwa kwale minerali nakho kuyingozi, yize kunzima ukufinyelela kulesi simo ngokudla kuphela. Imbangela ivame ukutholakala kwizithasiselo zensimbi, yingakho zinganconyelwa abantu asebekhulile (izidingo zabo zensimbi zingaphansi) noma abantu abane-hemochromatosis yefa, isimo esidala ukuthi abantu bamunce okuningi kuso.