Low levels of iron in the body negatively affect many life processes: metabolism and brain functions are disrupted, and physical health, performance and sexual life are affected.
Dr. Anastasia Zubritskaya, an obstetrician-gynecologist and nutrition expert, said in an interview with Gazeta.Ru: “Malnutrition, the diet not containing foods rich in iron, difficulty absorbing iron due to diseases of the digestive system and chronic diseases, heavy menstruation in women, pregnancy, and the active growth of the child.” Aging is also one of the main causes of depletion of iron reserves in the body.
The doctor points out that more than a third of women of reproductive age suffer from heavy menstruation and anemia due to iron deficiency, based on the results of a general blood test. Half of them suffer from latent iron deficiency (iron deficiency) due to malnutrition. Iron deficiency among men is less common, but attention should be paid to blood donors and vegetarians.
She says: “Many people can live in a pre-anemic state for many years without feeling it. But when there is a deficiency in iron, the body first compensates for it from the reserves in the liver depot, which does not affect in any way the health condition and levels of iron.” Hemoglobin. Signs of hidden iron deficiency (latent anemia) are often discovered by chance, after a blood test for ferritin. However, once iron reserves are exhausted, symptoms such as: fatigue, unexplained weakness, dizziness, headache, paleness of the skin and mucous membranes, appear. Cracks in the corners of the mouth, brittle nails and hair, and restless legs syndrome.”
According to her, the simplest way to prevent iron deficiency is to correct the diet followed. Foods contain two types of iron: heme - found in meat, and non-heme - found in plant foods. The latter is absorbed by the body less easily, in addition to the process of assimilation is also affected by the foods and drinks that are consumed at the same time.
The other way to compensate for the lack of iron in the body, according to her, is to take medications. But patients often complain of stool problems, nausea, and bloating. Therefore, in this case, it is better for them to take the organic form of iron, which is easy to absorb, has fewer side effects, and has better clinical results.
Scientists discover the mechanisms of action of a protein that prevents the development of lung cancer
Molecular biologists in the United States have discovered the mechanisms of the newly discovered protein "RBM10", whose molecules prevent the development of lung cancer by inhibiting the activity of the oncogenic enzyme "cMyc".
Lu Hua, a professor at Tulane University in the United States, whose words were quoted by the university’s press service, said: “We know a lot about this type of cancer, but the molecular mechanisms of its development have remained a mystery to us. We have discovered that the RBM10 protein is linked to two other proteins, RPL5 and RPL11. “This allows it to directly attack the oncogenic enzyme cMyc molecules, which leads to their degradation and slows the development of cancer.”
Professor Lu Hua and his colleagues made this discovery while studying the properties of the “RBM10” protein, which until recently was not linked to the development of lung cancer, but was linked to suppressing the growth of tumors in other parts of the body, and it is a regulator of the activity of a large number of genes, including These are genes associated with cell proliferation and the initiation of apoptosis, a biological program of self-destruction.
Geneticists recently discovered that “lung cancer cells often contain mutant forms of RBM10, in addition to similar proteins RBM5 and RBM6,” and this prompted researchers to conduct a detailed study of the role these peptides may play in the development and prevention of tumors. To do this, the researchers analyzed other molecules that mutant and regular forms of RBM10 interact with.
According to World Health Organization estimates, “lung cancer is one of the leading causes of premature death, along with cardiovascular diseases, in addition to other types of tumors.” In 2018, it claimed the lives of approximately 1.76 million people around the world, most of whom were infected due to smoking. For this reason, doctors always advise smokers to quit using tobacco as soon as possible.