Fighting Iron-Deficiency Anemia: Innovations in Food Fortificants and Biofortification Strategies

• Published in: Foods Vol. 9; no. 12; p. 1871
• Main Authors: Liberal, Ângela, Pinela, José, Vívar-Quintana, Ana Maria, Ferreira, Isabel C F R, Barros, Lillian
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 15.12.2020; MDPI
• Subjects: Absorption; Agricultural practices; agronomic/genetic techniques; Agronomy; Anemia; Bioavailability; biofortification; Chemical elements; Chronic illnesses; Developing countries; Diet; dietary strategies; Enzymes; Food; food fortification; Food production; Food science; Hemoglobin; Human body; Infections; Iron; iron bioavailability; Iron constituents; Iron deficiency; iron-deficiency anemia; LDCs; Medical treatment; Metabolism; Metabolites; Micronutrients; Nutrient deficiency; Older people; Physiology; Plant breeding; Public health; Review; Transgenic plants; Tropical diseases; Vegetarianism; Vitamins; dietary strategies; iron bioavailability; agronomic/genetic techniques; biofortification; food fortification; iron-deficiency anemia
• ISSN: 2304-8158; 2304-8158
• DOI: 10.3390/foods9121871

Iron deficiency remains one of the main nutritional disorders worldwide and low iron intake and/or bioavailability are currently the major causes of anemia. To fight this public health problem, the scientific challenge is to find an iron form with sufficient bioavailability to increase its levels in humans through food fortification. In turn, biofortification appears as a comparatively advantageous and bearable strategy for the delivery of vitamins and other micronutrients for people without access to a healthy and diverse diet. This approach relies on plant breeding, transgenic techniques, or agronomic practices to obtain a final food product with a higher iron content. It is also known that certain food constituents are able to favor or inhibit iron absorption. The management of these compounds can thus successfully improve the absorption of dietary iron and, ultimately, contribute to fight this disorder present all over the world. This review describes the main causes/manifestations of iron-deficiency anemia, forms of disease prevention and treatment, and the importance of a balanced and preventive diet. A special focus was given to innovative food fortification and biofortification procedures used to improve the iron content in staple food crops.