HEMOGLOBIN IRON IIWhat do we know? Some more published studies of heme iron supplementation

EFFECT OF TEA AND OTHER DIETARY FACTORS ON IRON ABSORPTION.Zijp IM, Korver O, Tijburg LB. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2000 Sep;40(5):371-98.

“Iron deficiency is a major world health problem, that is, to a great extent, caused by poor iron absorption from the diet. Several dietary factors can influence this absorption. Absorption enhancing factors are ascorbic acid and meat, fish and poultry; inhibiting factors are plant components in vegetables, tea and coffee (e.g., polyphenols, phytates), and calcium. After identifying these factors their individual impact on iron absorption is described. Specific attention was paid to the effects of tea on iron absorption.. For subjects at risk of iron deficecency the following recommendations are made..Increase heme-iron intake (this form of dietary iron present in meat fish and poultry is hardly influenced by other dietary factors with respect to its absorption)..”

Heme iron is not affected by other simultaneously ingested food or drink.

PROTON PUMP INHIBITORS SUPPRESS ABSORPTION OF DIETARY NON-HAEM IRON IN HEREDITARY HAEMOCHROMATOSIS.Hutchinson C, Geissler CA, Powell JJ, Bomford A.Gut. 2007 Sep;56(9):1291-5

"Low iron counts and even anaemia is often found in patiens using proton pumb inhibitors such as Losec (omeprazole).These drugs make stomach content less acidic.A lowered gastric acid pH effectively stops syntethic iron uptake."

Proton-pump inhibitors such as Losec e.g stops the uptake of non-heme iron leading to iron depletion in many cases.

PATHWAYS OF IRON ABSORPTION Marcel E. Conrad and Jay N. UmbreitBlood Cells, Molecules, and Diseases (2002) 29(3) Nov/Dec: 336–355

"In the literature mechanisms for both organic (heme) and inorganic (non-heme) iron uptake are well documented. The special pathway through which heme iron is absorbed has great benefits, mainly because the uptake is substantially higher. Since the hemoglobin molecule is absorbed as a whole no free iron ions are released in the intestine to trigger disturbancies."

Heme iron enters as a whole structure without disintegrating before uptake and does not compete with non-heme iron for uptake.

HEME IRON-BASED DIETARY INTERVENTION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF IRON STATUS IN YOUNG WOMEN. Hoppe M, Brun B, Larsson MP, Moraeus L, Hulthen L. Nutrition. 2013 Jan;29(1):89-95.

"Heme iron tablets typically have a tolerance at placebo level, whereas syntethic oral iron has a therapy failure rate due to side-effects of around 30 %Heme iron products have the potential to complement anaemia therapy. This would mean substantial savings for the community and a much improved quality of life for the patients."

This means that there are few, if any, side-effects and good efficacy for heme iron when used with fertile females.

PRODUCTION OF STABLE-ISOTOPE-LABELED BOVINE HEME AND ITS USE TO MEASURE HEME-IRON ABSORPTION IN CHILDREN.Paz Etcheverry, Gordon E Carstens, Erin Brown, Keli M Hawthorne, Zhensheng Chen, and Ian J GriffinThe American Journal of Clinical Nutrition Am J Clin Nutr 2007;85:452–9.

"The current study suggests that geometric mean heme-iron absorptionfrom 4 mg heme iron (13–16%) is higher, consistent with the expectation that heme-iron absorption would be greater than nonheme-iron absorption."

Heme Iron works well with children and is absorbed to a greater degree than syntethic iron. It will also not inhibit zinc absorption.

NON-HEME IRON AS FERROUS SULFATE DOES NOT INTERACT WITH HEME IRON ABSORPTION IN HUMANS.Gaitán D, Olivares M, Lönnerdal B, Brito A, Pizarro F.Biol Trace Elem Res. 2012 Dec;150(1-3):68-73

"The addition of non-heme iron as ferrous sulfate did not have any effect on heme iron absorption (P = NS). We reported evidence that heme and non-heme iron as ferrous sulfate does not compete for absorption."

Heme iron will not interact with non-heme iron for uptake or efficacy.

PREDICTION OF DIETARY IRON ABSORPTION: AN ALGORITHM FOR CALCULATING ABSORPTION AND BIOAVAILABILITY OF DIETARY IRON.Hallberg L, Hulthén L. Am J Clin Nutr. 2000 May;71(5):1147-60.

” The basis for the algorithm was the absorption of iron from a wheat roll (22.1 +/- 0.18%) containing no known inhibitors or enhancers of iron absorption and adjusted to a reference dose absorption of 40%.”  The uptake of heme iron is very high, in this case 40 %