Is it OK if iron powder is added to flour for iron deficiency ?

Question

To take care of wide spread iron deficiency , Govt of Gujarat has advised all flour mills to add iron powder to the flour.Whether iron in this form will be absorbed by the body? Is there any risk involved to take iron in such form ?

Answer 1

Is it OK? Yes. Metallic iron is often ingested with some of the water in the American Midwest with no harmful effects, and many American infant cereals are fortified with iron powder..

Whether it helps depends on the iron particle size. Smaller-sized iron particles are absorbed better than large ones which tend to react with the water in the air and make the food go bad before it can be eaten.

So Gujarat is doing the right thing for most of its people, depending on the quality control of the food industry there, and whether it results in its men having too much iron in their food, which makes men form blood clots too readily. With too much iron in their blood, men will die from heart attacks more than women will.

But iron powder will do as Gujarat apparently hopes.

Answer 2

Don't know if the heat from baking would inactivate the iron or not. I do know that ingesting vitamin c with iron will cause it to bind, while caffeine will block the absorption. You should check with a dietitian for more info, or go to www.webmd.com and use their site search for info on anemia.

Answer 3

Sounds a bit strange to me.

Answer 4

I have no clue...