This document discusses the history and development of heme iron supplementation. In the 1970s, changes to waste handling laws in Sweden led the meat processing industry to consider new uses for residues. Researchers developed a way to extract and purify hemoglobin from meat residues to produce a heme iron supplement powder. Heme iron from hemoglobin is easily absorbed and does not cause intestinal issues, unlike non-heme iron supplements. Heme iron supplements were introduced in Scandinavia in the 1970s and have proven to be safe and effective with no reported side effects.

1. A brief history
of heme iron supplementation
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2. • As in every country, in Sweden major
industry is handling meat products to the
food industry and ultimately to the
consumers.
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3. • In the seventies large changes in
environmental legislature and waste
handling were taking place.
• This made the industry consider new uses
for residue.
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4. • The residue could be destroyed or
industrially transformed into fertilizer,
which would often come to be the case.
• Some residue contained components that
could be taken care of in better ways.
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5. • One of these was the content of red blood
cells.
• So a technology was developed to
efficiently and hygienically collect and treat
hemoglobin.
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6. • It became possible to collect, clean and
treat hemoglobin and plasma industrially.
• This resulted in hemoglobin powder that
could be certified as a food ingredient and
later even as a food supplement
component.
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7. • Natural hemoglobin contains heme iron,
which is the most efficient and well-tolerated
source of palatable iron for man.
• The only other kind, non-heme iron, is
found in plants and chemical/syntethic
forms of supplements
Twin paths of iron in uptake
Effective uptake without disturbances,
hemoglobin is absorbed whole, no
splitting
Body iron pool
Non-heme iron must be broken down
before absorpiton
Food
Fe
Fe
Intestine
Heme iron
Fe
Fe
Non-heme iron
Free iron ions may cause
intestinal dusturbances Fe Fe
Fe
Fe
Fe
Fe
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8. • Heme iron and its good properties were
known in the medical community.
• After the first products appeared, there
were clinical studies confirming absorption
and tolerance.
Heme iron is easily
absorbed as a whole
structure with high
bio-availability.
Non-heme iron must be
dissolved before uptake.
Because of low absorption
reactive free iron ions
remain in the gut.
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
absorption 2-4 %
Intestine
Fe++
absorption 15-20 %
Intestine
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9. • The iron bound by natural hemoglobin is
easily absorbed as a whole unit and does
not create free iron ions in the gut.
• Free iron ions are basically toxic, not
taken up very well and are believed to be
the source of side-effects in the syntethic
forms of iron supplementation.
Heme iron is easily
absorbed as a whole
structure with high
bio-availability.
Non-heme iron must be
dissolved before uptake.
Because of low absorption
reactive free iron ions
remain in the gut.
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
Fe++
absorption 2-4 %
Intestine
Fe++
absorption 15-20 %
Intestine
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10. • A number of heme-iron based tablet food
supplements have been introduced since
the 1970-ies in Scandinavia.
• Despite major general use no cases of
serious side-effects or of poisoning have
been reported.
Absorption (typical)
15-20%
2-4%
Side-effects (typical)
20-30%
8-10% 2-4%
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11. • This form of iron supplementation has
been unique to Scandinavia, since nowhere
else is the technology and know-how
needed present.
There are only two forms of bio-available iron
• Natural heme iron from meat
products Iron bound to natural hemoglobin
or myoglobin
• Non-heme iron from plants, dairy
and syntethic iron supplements
Otherwise chemically bonded iron
Fe++
Fe++
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12. • For chronics, when iron deficiency is linked to the
disease, the situation can be critical. Sooner or
later almost everyone develops side-effects that
eventually terminate the vital therapy.
• The traditional alternative remaining has been
intravenous supplementation, which is costly,
painful and inconvenient. It also brings oxidative
stress to the organism
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13. •Today, more and more doctors and health
authorities around the world are realising that
natural heme iron therapy is safe, economical,
well-tolerated and efficient.
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