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Iron is an essential dietary component, necessary for a number of cellular functions including respiration and immune response. Since there is no physiological iron excretion, the element is reutilised in the body, and only a small fraction of the body's iron is gained or lost each day. The daily iron losses are mostly from desquamation of epithelia, such as skin and the lining of gastrointestinal tract. Greater iron losses may occur during growth in childhood, haemorrhages, menstruation and pregnancy in women. Besides the fact that it is a vital element in life, iron may participate in diverse pathological processes. This may be due to its involvement in the production of reactive oxygen species. These species play important roles in immune response. However, they have also been shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of several diseases, such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, Crohn's disease, diabetes, cancer and …