Iron fortification: risks of excessive iron intake

Iron fortification: risks of excessive iron intake

Subject: Science and Technology

Section: Species in news

Context:

In India close to half the population of women and children suffer from iron deficiency, to address this government is mulling fortification of wheat, rice or salt with iron.

Why it won’t help much

The net benefit of Iron fortification on haemoglobin formation is likely to be lower than thought. Excess iron in fortified diet will remain unabsorbed. Only about 5-10 percent of the ingested iron is absorbed.

Associated risks

While women can excrete iron from the body through menstrual bleeding, men cannot. This makes men particularly vulnerable to excess iron intake. Unabsorbed iron can lead to inflammation in the gastrointestinal lining and disrupt the colonic microbiota. Excess iron has been closely linked to diabetes. Abnormal fat oxidation due to excess iron causes excessive accumulation of triglycerides in muscle and liver tissues. In very high amounts, iron can cause liver fibrosis, with subsequent progression to liver cirrhosis.

Way forward

It is imperative to develop individualised strategies and ensure thorough monitoring to detect any adverse events at the earliest. There is no doubt that some segments of the population do need extra iron in their diet but not all. Eventually, precision in public health is essential if we are to avoid the risk of iron overload and the potential for long-term chronic illnesses.