Iron encapsulation: Another strategy for the prevention or treatment of iron deficiency anemia

Iron deficiency anemia affects one third of the world population, causing severe health problems. Prevention and treatment strategies are based on oral supplementation and fortification of foods, but the effectiveness of these strategies has not been as expected. One explanation is that the iron compounds used have low bioavailability and produce undesired effects. Therefore, new technologies that could avoid these problems, like the encapsulation, have been explored. This technology improves the bioavailability of iron, reduces organoleptic alterations of fortified products, and decreases gastrointestinal disorders related to supplement use. These encapsulated iron products have been studied in vitro and also applied in in vivo studies to determine their efficacy against iron deficiency anemia, with promising results. Therefore, the objective of this review was to gather information about current trends in iron encapsulation as a tool to prevent or treat iron deficiency anemia.