Iron Capsules with Lactoferrin

Why is highly bioavailable iron important?

Iron is the most common trace element in the body. Total body iron is approximately 5 g. Iron is equally important for body chemistry and thus for well-being. It regulates numerous enzymes and proteins that are very important:

• Tyrosine hydroxylase (dopamine, noradrenaline and adrenaline synthesis)
• Tryptophan hydroxylase (serotonin and melatonin formation)
• Nitric oxide synthase (synthesis of NO)
• Lipoxygenase (immune system)
• Cytochrome P450 (liver detoxification, synthesis of sex hormones)
• Peroxidases, catalases (antioxidants)
• Iron-containing proteins of the mitochondria (energy production)

Iron is the crucial central atom of all those proteins that work with oxygen, including haemoglobin (blood) and myoglobin (oxygen storage in cells). Furthermore, iron also regulates the formation of collagen (collagen hydroxylases), the most important structural protein of the body.

At the same time, iron absorption from food is inhibited in multiple ways. Possible influences include:

• Phytic acid in cereals, nuts and the like
• Dietary fibres
• Oxalates in many vegetables
• Polyphenols, for example from coffee
• Many medications
• Higher amounts of certain other metals, for example zinc
• Low protein intake

The following health claims are authorised for iron:

• It contributes to normal cognitive function
  
• It contributes to normal energy metabolism
  
• It contributes to normal cognitive development in children
  
• It plays a role in the process of cell division
  
• It contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue
  
• It contributes to normal function of the immune system
  
• It contributes to normal oxygen transport in the body
  
• It contributes to the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin

What distinguishes our iron capsules with lactoferrin

Iron deficiency affects mainly women of childbearing age, especially before, during and after pregnancy. Typically, very high iron doses are administered in such situations, which moreover usually have poor bioavailability. The result is often gastrointestinal problems and abdominal pain.

Our iron supplement aims to achieve precisely the opposite: We want to offer a supplement with which even in smaller amounts, a great, above all well-tolerated effect is achieved. This is intended to gently and quickly replenish iron stores.

• In our iron capsules, iron is present in the form of iron glycinate as a chelate complex with glycine. Studies suggest that iron is better absorbed when it can form a stable complex. This succeeds with divalent ions such as iron, for example with amino acids such as glycine. It is speculated that iron bound to amino acids is then more likely to be absorbed intact via the amino acid transporter. Therefore, dietary proteins also have a positive influence on iron absorption and potential inhibitory effects from food are better compensated. For example, a study with newborns concludes:

The higher bioavailability of iron bisglycinate chelate resulted in a lower burden of elemental iron, a quarter of the dose, and achieved equivalent efficacy compared to iron sulphate. Iron bisglycinate chelate appears to be an alternative to iron sulphate in the prevention and treatment of anaemia in premature infants.

To our iron capsules, we also add lactoferrin. This is a protein that naturally occurs in the milk of many mammals, including humans. It is also found in many body secretions and acts antimicrobially there.

Taking lactoferrin with iron: This is the advantage

For years, lactoferrin has had the reputation of being an ideal absorption accelerator, because one of the main roles of lactoferrin is to bind iron and transport it to cells. For this reason, there is a lactoferrin receptor in the intestine. For example, only in 2020 could a study show that the addition of lactoferrin to a conventional iron compound (iron sulphate) improved absorption by more than 50 %.

• An often neglected factor is vitamin C. As a source of vitamin C, we use the acerola cherry. Even small amounts of vitamin C, between 50 and 100 mg, can dramatically improve iron absorption – by approximately 50 % to 400 %. The effect of vitamin C appears to be linear, that is, even larger doses can additionally increase the effects.
  

Our iron capsules provide all three components in the best quality and in adequate amounts.

Iron bisglycinate 25 mg iron is in a randomised study in the prevention of iron deficiency and anaemia during pregnancy equally effective as iron sulphate 50 mg iron – with fewer gastrointestinal problems than in the sulphate group

(Milman et al. 2014)