Gemomil is a biologically active supplement, containing 30 mg Ferrum which is presented by ferrous bisglycinate.
Ferrous bisglycinate is a chelate that is used as a source of dietary iron. Forming a ring structure when reacting with glycine, ferrous bisglycinate acts as both a chelate and a nutritionally functional. It is found in foods for food enrichment or in supplements for the treatment of iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia. [1] It is a novel amino acid iron chelate that is thought to be more bioavailable and associated with fewer gastrointestinal (GI) adverse events as compared with iron salts. [2]
Iron is an abundant element on earth and is a biologically essential component of every living organism. In the human body, iron mainly exists in complex forms bound to protein (hemoprotein) as heme compounds (hemoglobin or myoglobin), heme enzymes, or nonheme compounds (flavin-iron enzymes, transferring, and ferritin). The body requires iron for the synthesis of its oxygen transport proteins, in particular hemoglobin and myoglobin, and for the formation of heme enzymes and other iron-containing enzymes involved in electron transfer and oxidation-reductions. Almost two-thirds of the body iron is found in the hemoglobin present in circulating erythrocytes, 25% is contained in a readily mobilizable iron store, and the remaining 15% is bound to myoglobin in muscle tissue and in a variety of enzymes involved in the oxidative metabolism and many other cell functions. [3]
The American National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) defines healthy eating changes as first-line treatments for mild to moderate iron-deficiency anemia. Male adults and postmenopausal women should consume 10–11 mg/day of iron, with ranges adjusting according to physiological (e.g., post-menarche women requires 20 mg/day of iron), dietary (e.g., highest bioavailability is for high meat/fish diets), or environmental factors (e.g., the infected host requires increased iron needs). For instance, iron requirements in conditions of lowest bioavailability can be set at 27.4 mg/day for men and 58.8 mg/day for women. [4]
The WHO has recognised iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) as the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, with 30% of the population being affected with this condition. Although the most common causes of IDA are gastrointestinal bleeding and menstruation in women, decreased dietary iron and decreased iron absorption are also culpable causes. Patients with IDA should be treated with the aim of replenishing iron stores and returning the haemoglobin to a normal level. This has shown to improve quality of life, morbidity, prognosis in chronic disease and outcomes in pregnancy. Iron deficiency occurs in many chronic inflammatory conditions, including congestive cardiac failure, chronic kidney disease and inflammatory bowel disease. [5]
So in summary Iron supplementation remains an important strategy for the prevention and treatment of iron deficiency anemia and can produce substantial improvements in the functional performance of iron deficient individuals and population. Weekly supplementation programs may improve the logistical and economic constraints that currently limit the provision of supplements to the many target population groups for whom they are recommended, but usually fail to reach. Further work is required to clarify the purpose, delivery and outcomes of iron supplementation programs. [6]
References
[1] National Center for Biotechnology Information (2023). PubChem Compound Summary for CID 9837124, Ferrous bisglycinate. Retrieved November 18, 2023 from https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Ferrous-bisglycinate.
[2] Fischer JAJ, Cherian AM, Bone JN, Karakochuk CD. The effects of oral ferrous bisglycinate supplementation on hemoglobin and ferritin concentrations in adults and children: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Nutr Rev. 2023 Jul 10;81(8):904-920. doi: 10.1093/nutrit/nuac106. PMID: 36728680; PMCID: PMC10331582.
[3] Abbaspour N, Hurrell R, Kelishadi R. Review on iron and its importance for human health. J Res Med Sci. 2014 Feb;19(2):164-74. PMID: 24778671; PMCID: PMC3999603.
[4] Briguglio M, Hrelia S, Malaguti M, Lombardi G, Riso P, Porrini M, Perazzo P, Banfi G. The Central Role of Iron in Human Nutrition: From Folk to Contemporary Medicine. Nutrients. 2020 Jun 12;12(6):1761. doi: 10.3390/nu12061761. PMID: 32545511; PMCID: PMC7353323.
[5] Kumar A, Sharma E, Marley A, Samaan MA, Brookes MJ. Iron deficiency anaemia: pathophysiology, assessment, practical management. BMJ Open Gastroenterol. 2022 Jan;9(1):e000759. doi: 10.1136/bmjgast-2021-000759. PMID: 34996762; PMCID: PMC8744124.
[6] Lindsay H. Allen, Iron Supplements: Scientific Issues Concerning Efficacy and Implications for Research and Programs, The Journal of Nutrition, https://doi.org/10.1093/jn/132.4.813S