Plant-Based Iron Acts Similarly to Pharmaceutical Iron

Plant-Based Iron Acts Similarly to Pharmaceutical Iron

PHILADELPHIA--A plant-based iron supplement wasshown to be just as effective as ferrous sulfate for treating mild anemia,according to research presented on Dec. 11 at a meeting of the American Societyfor Hematology (www.hematology.org).Burt Ensley, Ph.D., president of Hillside, N.J.-based NuCycle Therapy, whichmanufactures the hydroponically grown, plant-based iron product, also presentedthe study results at SupplySide West on Dec. 4 in Las Vegas.

In a double blind trial, Ensley and colleagues treated 40iron-deficient patients with either 65 mg/d of a pharmaceutical-grade ferroussulfate (as Feosol, by GlaxoSmithKline) or 18 mg/d of plant-based iron (asPhytoIron, distributed in the United States by Wayne, N.J.-based TriarcoIndustries). After 60 days, 25 percent of the ferrous sulfate group had droppedout due to adverse side effects, and of those remaining, 67 percent alsoreported experiencing minor side effects (primarily constipation). Incomparison, 11 percent of the plant-based iron group dropped out before thestudy was concluded, and 30 percent of the remaining subjects reported sideeffects. Both groups exhibited similar improvements in blood iron parameters.