The effect of a natural polyphenol supplement on iron absorption in adults with hereditary hemochromatosis.

Objectives: We developed a natural polyphenol supplement that strongly chelates iron in vitro and assessed its effect on non-heme iron absorption in patients with hereditary hemochromatosis (HH).

Methods: We performed in vitro iron digestion experiments to determine iron precipitation by 12 polyphenol-rich dietary sources, and formulated a polyphenol supplement (PPS) containing black tea powder, cocoa powder and grape juice extract. In a multi-center, single-blind, placebo-controlled cross-over study, we assessed the effect of the PPS on iron absorption from an extrinsically labelled test meal and test drink in patients (n = 14) with HH homozygous for the p.