Ask Science
Ask a science question, get a science answer.
Community Rules
Rule 1: Be respectful and inclusive.
Treat others with respect, and maintain a positive atmosphere.
Rule 2: No harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or trolling.
Avoid any form of harassment, hate speech, bigotry, or offensive behavior.
Rule 3: Engage in constructive discussions.
Contribute to meaningful and constructive discussions that enhance scientific understanding.
Rule 4: No AI-generated answers.
Strictly prohibit the use of AI-generated answers. Providing answers generated by AI systems is not allowed and may result in a ban.
Rule 5: Follow guidelines and moderators' instructions.
Adhere to community guidelines and comply with instructions given by moderators.
Rule 6: Use appropriate language and tone.
Communicate using suitable language and maintain a professional and respectful tone.
Rule 7: Report violations.
Report any violations of the community rules to the moderators for appropriate action.
Rule 8: Foster a continuous learning environment.
Encourage a continuous learning environment where members can share knowledge and engage in scientific discussions.
Rule 9: Source required for answers.
Provide credible sources for answers. Failure to include a source may result in the removal of the answer to ensure information reliability.
By adhering to these rules, we create a welcoming and informative environment where science-related questions receive accurate and credible answers. Thank you for your cooperation in making the Ask Science community a valuable resource for scientific knowledge.
We retain the discretion to modify the rules as we deem necessary.
view the rest of the comments
This is going to cover the factors that affect the ability of humans to absorb Iron which isnt quite addressing your question directly but I would rather not speculate about things that I have not researched as thoroughly. Iron bioavailability depends on several factors including what you eat along with the Iron. Citric acid and protein significantly increase the bioavailability of Iron. Plant foods rich in phytate (what plants use to store Phosphorus) bind to and render unavailable metals like Iron, Zinc, Calcium etc but these levels vary significantly between plant food sources. Other metals like Zinc can interfere with Iron bioavailability and vice versa. And normally the body's ability to absorb Iron is regulated such that Iron is absorbed more efficiently if you are deficient and less efficiently if you have an excess. There are a few disorders that cause this Iron regulation to malfunction either resulting in deficiencies or the complete opposite of this, excessive Iron that starts depositing in organs but with a physiologically "normal" person that regulatory system acts to normalize the amount of Iron absorbed to an extent.