Iron & infant health

Recent scientific evidence has shown there is a link between iron absorption and gut health. Others have highlighted the ability of prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) to increase iron absorption by protecting the gut microbiota. 

According to Christides T et al.’s study, adding vitamin C and prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) to infant formulas increases iron absorption. 

CONTEXT AND METHOD OF THE STUDY 

In infants and children, iron is a fundamental element for optimal growth, cognitive development and immune system development^1-3. 

Iron deficiency is responsible for one in two anaemias¹. In Africa, this is mainly caused by a lack of iron intake linked to malnutrition or certain inadequate food practices,

Only 5-25% of ingested iron is actually absorbed, and the increase in the quantity of unabsorbed dietary iron in the colon imbalances the gut microbiota^1,2.

For non-breastfed infants, strategies are developed to maximize iron absorption and reduce its deleterious impact on the gut microbiota. In this approach,

Recent scientific evidence has shown there is a link between iron absorption and gut health. Others have highlighted the ability of prebiotics (scGOS/lcFOS*) to increase iron absorption by protecting the gut microbiota. 

Iron is an essential micronutrient for the proper functioning of the immune system, yet iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency in the world¹.