Nutrition Science and Everyday Application - beta v 0.1

Vitamins and Minerals Involved in Blood
Health
Blood is essential to life. It transports absorbed nutrients and oxygen to cells, removes
metabolic waste products for excretion, and carries molecules, such as hormones, to allow
for communication between organs.
Blood is a connective tissue of the circulatory system, made up of four components
forming a matrix:
• red blood cells (or erythrocytes), which transport oxygen to cells
• white blood cells (or leukocytes), which are part of the immune system and help
destroy foreign invaders
• platelets, which are fragments of cells that circulate to assist in blood clotting
• plasma, which is the fluid portion of the blood and contains proteins that help
transport nutrients (e.g., fat-soluble vitamins) and aid in blood clotting.
Maintaining healthy blood, including its continuous renewal, is essential to support its vital
functions. Blood health is acutely sensitive to deficiencies in some vitamins and
minerals,especially iron and vitamin K.
IRON
Iron is a trace mineral. It is a necessary component of many proteins in the body responsible
for functions such as the transport of oxygen energy metabolism, immune function, and
antioxidant defense. Iron is also important in brain development and function.
Iron is essential for oxygen transport because of its role in hemoglobin, a protein in red
blood cells that transports oxygen to cells and gives red blood cells their color. Hemoglobin
is composed of four globular peptides, each with an iron-containing heme complex in the
center (Figure 9.X).
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