lead is toxic to the infant developing brain and that damage it does is irreversible. there is way to reduce the amount of lead in the blood; researchers have found that higher level of iron reduces lead in the blood. The researchers were delighted to find that the biscuits fortified with iron did indeed reduce the level of lead in the blood.
Key Takeaways:
- The situation becomes significantly worse if people are exposed to a high level of lead at the same time as they are suffering from iron deficiency.
- In the small intestine, lead and iron bind to the same transport protein, which absorbs the metals into the bloodstream.
- If someone consumes too little iron with their food, the transporter increases its activity, and can carry lead into the bloodstream instead, leading to increased levels of the toxic heavy metal in the body and brain.
“Before the study began, the children’s blood contained on average 4.3 micrograms of lead per decilitre. Biscuits with added sodium iron EDTA facilitated a reduction in blood lead concentration to 2.9 micrograms per decilitre. The biscuits also brought about an improvement in the children’s iron status. On the other hand, the reduction in lead concentration had no effect on cognitive performance, as the researchers discovered during the corresponding tests.”
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/10/161026135432.htm