ABSTRACT
Iron deœciency is a phenomenon affecting populations both in developed and in developing countries worldwide. It is the most common type of nutrient deœciency recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), with almost 1.62 billion people (24.2% of world population) estimated to be suffering from anemia (McLean et al., 2009). Affected populations are concentrated mainly in the poor and developing nations, with the highest proportion (47.5-67.6%) being in the African continent, and the largest number (315 million) in South East Asia. Although there are various reasons for anemia (infections, in“ammations, etc.), nutritional deœciency of iron (Fe) is at least a contributing factor in all cases.
