SLC40A1 and anemia (phenotype): Therefore, even if the mechanism by which bLf exerts its anti-inflammatory activity is still under debate, there are strong evidences that bLf efficacy in treating anemia and AI is not linked to a direct iron supplementation, but to a more complex mechanism involving this protein in decreasing IL-6 and modulating hepcidin and Fpn, the most important iron homeostasis actors, both regulated by IL-6 (23, 44).