Two common iron compounds increase the formation of a known biomarker for cancer.
According to a new study of cancer cells from the Chalmers University of Technology, Sweden, some iron compounds including ferric citrate and ferric EDTA increase the formation of a known biomarker for colon cancer. These compounds could worsen tumor formation in mice with colon cancer.
The study mainly focused on the effect of normal supplemental doses of these compounds on two types of cultured human colon cancer cells. As an examination, they additionally estimated the impacts of ferrous sulfate, another ordinarily accessible iron compound.
They found that ferrous sulphate had no effect. But at low doses. both ferric citrate and ferric EDTA could increase in cellular levels of amphiregulin, a biomarker for cancer.
Ferric sulphate is one of the most common, but ferric citrate, which is said to be gentler for the stomach, is also widely available in stores and online. It is also more easily absorbed by the body through foods such as granary bread, beans, and nuts.
But for consumers looking to make an informed choice, it can often be difficult to know what exactly they are buying.
Ferric EDTA is approved as a fortifying agent in both the USA and the EU. It is also used in countries such as China, Pakistan, Brazil, Mexico and The Philippines, where it is added to flour and powdered drinks. Additionally, it is present in certain medicines for children with low iron levels in countries such as the UK and France.
With both ferric citrate and ferric EDTA in widespread use, how should consumers or patients relate to these new findings?
The study was recently published in the journal Oncotarget. The study authors include Nathalie M. Scheers, Dora I.A. Pereira, Nuno Faria and Jonathan J. Powell.