Ferrous fumarate deteriorated plasma antioxidant status in patients with Crohn disease.

There are a few who disregard the importance of free oxygen radicals as a cause of tissue injury and of DNA damage in inflammatory bowel diseases (potentially leading to the development of colorectal cancer). There are also a few who disbelieve in the intolerance of oral ferrous iron in inflammatory bowel diseases. As Erichsen and coworkers have created a link between intolerability and pro-oxidant activity of oral ferrous fumarate in Crohn’s disease, they provide important information for clinical practice, i.e. not to use oral iron in inflammatory bowel diseases.

– Christoph Gasch