ABSTRACT
Iron along with folate and vitamin B12 are by far the most important nutrients for cell proliferation. Major advances have been made in understanding the physiology of human iron metabolism. In addition to its role in cellular proliferation, it plays vital role in oxygen transport, oxidative metabolism and other physiological processes. Folic acid deficiency reduces the proliferative capability of rapidly dividing tissues of the body and a primary deficiency of vitamin B12 can lead to a secondary deficiency of folic acid. There is a great deal of biochemical interdependence of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid in maintaining purine and pyrimidine supply to synthesize genetic material and maintain cell division. The scope of this chapter is to review the latest developments in the area of metabolism of these nutrients, highlighting their interactions in various metabolic pathways in order to provide a holistic understanding to improve public health nutrition.
