Active Iron
We made iron better
Active Iron is a next generation iron supplement that is specially formulated to reduce the negative gastro-intestinal side effects associated with traditional oral iron preparations, including nausea, constipation, and diarrhoea.
Why is Iron Important?
Iron is essential to life. It contributes to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue and also plays an important role in normal energy metabolism, oxygen transport, cognitive function, immune function and formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin.
- Energy Yielding Metabolism
- Blood Cell Formation
- Oxygen Transport
- Cognitive Function
- Immunity
How iron is stored
Iron is recycled between functional and storage “pools”. Around a quarter of the body’s iron is stored as ferritin, mainly in the liver, ready to be mobilised if the body requires additional iron. The remaining iron is mostly “functional” iron, found predominately in haemoglobin (Hb) in circulating red blood cells but also in myoglobin in skeletal muscle. A small fraction (<1%) circulates in the blood bound to transferrin; this is known as transport iron.
Iron stores are depleted before anaemia develops
Iron deficiency can be viewed as a spectrum from iron depletion through to iron deficiency anaemia dependent on the status of stored iron in the body (figure 1). In iron depletion, levels of stored iron are reduced, while levels of circulating iron in Haemoglobin may not be affected. In iron-deficiency anaemia, red blood cell production is diminished due to a shortage of both stored and circulating iron.
Stored iron is therefore depleted before haemoglobin decreases. Since Iron is essential to all cells symptoms of iron deficiency such as fatigue, irritability, poor concentration and hair loss – may occur even in the absence of anaemia.
Having enough iron is a two-part relationship. You need to receive enough iron from your diet, but your body also has to receive, retain, and transfer the iron properly. That’s where an Iron Binding Capacity Test comes in. This test helps health care providers know whether and why you have an iron deficiency or overload, and if your body is receiving the iron from your diet.
Why treating low Iron levels is a challenge
Standard oral iron supplements can have limitations. Only a small percentage of the iron is absorbed (around 10-15% [1]) and side effects are common which may in turn led to poor compliance.
Evidence suggests around 80-90% of those who take iron report side effects and of those around 50%[2] will stop taking iron as result. Whilst others work around these side effects with intermittent use or use of laxatives. Thus creating a significant issue with patient compliance. Active Iron has been designed to address this challenge. Its ground-breaking protein formula has been designed to reduce gut irritation from iron.
[1] Santiago P. Ferrous versus ferric oral iron formulations for the treatment of iron deficiency: a clinical overview. The Scientific World Journal 2012, Article ID 846824. Doi:10.1100/2012/846824
[2] Tolkien Z et al. Ferrous sulphate supplementation causes significant gastrointestinal side effects in adults: a systematic review and meta analysis. PLoS ONE 2015; 10(2): e0117383 Doi: 10.1371/journal.pone0117383
[4] Wang et Al – https://www.karger.com/Article/Abstract/480632
