Iron-deficiency anemia is a common health issue that affects millions of people. It happens when your body doesn’t have enough iron to make the red blood cells that carry oxygen.
People with this condition often feel tired, get frequent headaches, or even crave ice. Although doctors usually treat this by giving iron tablets, these supplements don’t always work well and can upset the stomach.
Many times, the body doesn’t absorb most of the iron from these tablets. The leftover iron stays in the gut, causing irritation, inflammation, or other problems.
That’s why some doctors also prescribe probiotics—good bacteria—to help protect the gut while taking iron. But this still doesn’t solve all the problems.
A new study, published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, introduces a better option. Scientists created a new iron supplement that combines three things: iron, probiotics (good bacteria), and prebiotics (food for the good bacteria).
This new supplement aims to treat anemia while also keeping the gut healthy and avoiding side effects.
The research team, including Poonam Sagar and Nitin Kumar Singhal, made this special supplement using fiber from millet, a grain that many people eat.
They also added a type of helpful bacteria called Lactobacillus rhamnosus and an iron-rich compound. The goal was to deliver iron in a way that the body can use efficiently without upsetting the gut.
To test the supplement, they used human cells and mice with iron-deficiency anemia. The results were very encouraging. After just two weeks, the mice that received the supplement showed strong signs of recovery:
Their hemoglobin levels returned to normal. Hemoglobin is the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen and needs iron to work properly. Their bodies absorbed the iron well, so they didn’t excrete large amounts of unused iron.
Genes linked to iron transport were more active, suggesting better use of iron in the body. There was little to no inflammation in their gut. Their gut bacteria returned to healthy levels, unlike the other anemic mice.
This new supplement could be a big improvement over current treatments. It’s designed to not only fix the iron shortage but also protect gut health at the same time. More studies are needed before it can be used in humans, but the early results are promising.
According to the researchers, using this kind of “three-in-one” supplement could help fight anemia more effectively while avoiding the common problems caused by traditional iron pills.
If future studies confirm these findings, it could be a new way to improve nutrition and health for people all over the world.
If you care about nutrition, please read studies about A guide to diet choices for healthy kidneys and findings of Scientists find why limiting calories in diet could boost healthy aging and muscles.
For more about nutrition, please read studies about This nutrient in diet can prevent inflammation in older people and findings of Diet high in protein, zinc and niacin may protect heart health during weight loss.
The study is published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
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