Iron deficiency is widespread globally. Women are particularly affected, with one in five in Europe suffering from iron deficiency. The consequences are anemia, constant fatigue, chronic headaches and a weakened immune system.
Researchers led by ETH professor Raffaele Mezzenga have now developed a new dietary supplement that could efficiently treat iron deficiency and anemia. This development is being co-led by Michael B. Zimmermann, professor emeritus at ETH Zurich. The preparation consists of edible oat protein nanofibrils coated with iron nanoparticles. The corresponding study has just been published in the journal Nature Food.
The new iron compound is not only easy to produce but also extremely effective: the iron it contains is absorbed by the body almost twice as well as iron administered from iron sulfate the currently most widely used standard for iron supplementation. This is shown by a rigorous clinical study conducted by Mezzenga's project partners in Thailand. They administered the compound to 52 women aged 18 to 45 who were suffering from anemia due to iron deficiency.
Vegans and vegetarians could benefit
The novel preparation has several advantages. Being based on plant proteins means that it is suitable for vegetarians and vegans. "This is important because they are more likely to suffer from iron deficiency than meat-eaters: the body absorbs iron from animal foods better than iron from plant-based foods," says ETH professor Mezzenga.
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