Iron Filings in “Fortified” Breakfast Cereals
June 6th, 2009Yummy!
Via: Times Online:
The reason it is added in a form that you can extract is that iron ions (iron that would more easily combine with other molecules in the cereal) increase the spoilage rate of the food. Using iron in its pure metal form gives the cereal a longer shelf-life.
More: Intestinal Infections, Inflammation
“Instead of fortifying everyone’s diet with excess iron, we should diagnose iron deficiency and then provide supplemental iron only to those who need it,” said Mark Failla, professor of nutrition at Ohio State University…
More: Heart Disease
Sullivan offers a few simple solutions for people worried about the iron-heart disease connection. “I think we can say that adults should avoid iron supplements unless they have iron-deficiency anemia,” Sullivan says.
