Dietary treatment of iron deficiency in women of childbearing age

• Published in: The American journal of clinical nutrition 2001-11, Vol.74 (5), p.650-656
• Main Authors: PATTERSON, Amanda J, BROWN, Wendy J, ROBERTS, David C. K, SELDON, Michael R
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - diet therapy; Anemia, Iron-Deficiency - prevention & control; Anemias. Hemoglobinopathies; Biological and medical sciences; Biological Availability; Diet; Diet Records; Dietary Supplements; Diseases of red blood cells; Female; Ferritins - blood; Ferritins - metabolism; Hematologic and hematopoietic diseases; Hemoglobins - analysis; Hemopathies; Humans; Intestinal Absorption; Iron; Iron - deficiency; Iron - metabolism; Iron, Dietary - administration & dosage; Iron, Dietary - pharmacokinetics; Longitudinal Studies; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nutritional Requirements; Patient Compliance; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); Women
• ISSN: 0002-9165; 1938-3207
• DOI: 10.1093/ajcn/74.5.650

The Australian Iron Status Advisory Panel advocates dietary intervention as the first treatment option for mild iron deficiency [serum ferritin (SF) = 10-15 microg/L]. However, there appear to be no studies on the efficacy of dietary treatment for iron deficiency. We compared the effects of iron supplementation and of a high-iron diet on serum ferritin (SF) and hemoglobin in iron-deficient women of childbearing age. Forty-four iron-deficient women (SF or =120 g/L and SF >20 microg/L) matched for age and parity categories were enrolled and completed 7-d weighed food records at baseline. The iron-deficient women were randomly allocated to receive iron supplementation (105 mg/d; supplement group) or a high-iron diet (recommended intake of absorbable iron: 2.25 mg/d; diet group) for 12 wk. Hematologic and dietary assessments were repeated at the end of the intervention and again after a 6-mo follow-up. Mean SF in the supplement group increased from 9.0 +/- 3.9 microg/L at baseline to 24.8 +/- 10.0 microg/L after the intervention and remained stable during follow-up (24.2 +/- 9.8 microg/L), whereas the diet group had smaller increases during the intervention (8.9 +/- 3.1 to 11.0 +/- 5.9 microg/L) but continued to improve during follow-up (to 15.2 +/- 9.5 microg/L). Mean hemoglobin tended to improve in both intervention groups, but the change was only significant in the supplement group. In iron-deficient women of childbearing age, a high-iron diet produced smaller increases in SF than did iron supplementation but resulted in continued improvements in iron status during a 6-mo. follow-up.