Iron-Enriched Nutritional Supplements for the 2030 Pharmacy Shelves

Abstract

Iron deficiency (ID) affects people of all ages in many countries. Due to intestinal blood loss and reduced iron absorption, ID is a threat to IBD patients, women, and children the most. Current therapies can efficiently recover normal serum transferrin saturation and hemoglobin concentration but may cause several side effects, including intestinal inflammation. ID patients may benefit from innovative nutritional supplements that may satisfy iron needs without side effects. There is a growing interest in new iron-rich superfoods, like algae and mushrooms, which combine antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties with iron richness.

Keywords: IBD; algae; iron; iron deficiency; nutrition; superfoods.

Figure 1

(A) Influence on iron absorption of pH, intestinal tract, and nutrients. Many nutrients and inorganic metals influence iron bioavailability and can increase or decrease its absorption; superfoods are often rich in iron, proteins, and vitamins. A Mediterranean diet supplemented with Mankai smoothies, for example, provides the right amount of daily iron. Superfoods also show antioxidant, immunomodulatory, and anti-inflammatory properties. (B) Iron absorption is influenced by food contents. Heme-iron is easier to absorb and can be directly absorbed or dissociated into ferrous ions and porphyrinic ring. Ferric ions need to be reduced to ferrous ions either by organic acids in the intestinal lumen or by DcytB and then they can be transported by DMT1 in the enterocyte and into the bloodstream by ferroportin. Intracellular iron can be also stored as ferritin. Iron chelators “steal” iron ions from the cells as opposed to superfoods that provide and “liberate” iron ions to the cells. (FLVCR1: Feline Leukemia Virus Subgroup C Receptor-Related Protein 1; HCP1: Heme Carrier Protein 1; DMT1: Divalent Metal Transporter 1; HMOX1: Heme Oxygenase 1; DcytB: Duodenal Cytochrome B; FPN1: Ferroportin 1).