Quantitative relations between baseline iron status , study duration , and iron dose on changes in iron-status biomarkers , which were generated from the meta-analyses , can be used to predict effects of trials of iron supplementation and fortification and to design iron-intervention programs
BACKGROUND The response of status biomarkers to an increase in iron supply depends on several physiologic and environmental factors , which make it difficult to predict the outcome of an intervention .
OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of baseline iron status , sex , menopausal status , duration of intervention , iron form , and daily dose on the change in iron status in response to iron supplementation .
Comparison of the efficacy of wheat-based snacks fortified with ferrous sulfate, electrolytic iron, or hydrogen-reduced elemental iron: randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in Thai women.
BACKGROUND Although elemental iron powders are widely used to fortify cereal products , little data exist on their efficacy in humans . OBJECTIVE We compared the efficacy of wheat-based snacks fortified with ferrous sulfate , electrolytic iron , or hydrogen-reduced iron in Thai women with low iron stores . DESIGN A double-blind intervention was conducted in 18 - 50-y-old women ( n = 330 ) r and omly assigned into 4 groups to receive either no fortification iron or 12 mg Fe/d for 6 d/wk for 35 wk as ferrous sulfate , electrolytic iron , or hydrogen-reduced iron in a baked , wheat-flour-based snack . Snacks were not consumed with meals , and consumption was monitored . At baseline , 20 wk , and 35 wk , hemoglobin status and iron were measured and the groups were compared . RESULTS Between baseline and 35 wk , geometric mean serum ferritin ( SF ) increased significantly in all 3 groups receiving iron ( P < 0.01 ) , and geometric mean serum transferrin receptor ( TfR ) decreased significantly in the groups receiving ferrous sulfate and electrolytic iron ( P < 0.05 ) . Calculated mean ( + /-SD ) body iron stores increased from 1.5 + /- 2.8 to 5.4 + /- 2.9 mg/kg in the ferrous sulfate group , from 1.5 + /- 3.5 to 4.4 + /- 3.6 mg/kg in the electrolytic iron group , and from 1.3 + /- 3.2 to 3.2 + /- 4.3 mg/kg in the hydrogen-reduced iron group ( P < 0.01 for all 3 groups ) but did not change significantly in the control group . CONCLUSIONS Ferrous sulfate , electrolytic iron , and hydrogen-reduced iron , fortified into wheat-based snacks , significantly improved iron status . On the basis of the change in body iron stores during the 35-wk study , the relative efficacy of the electrolytic and hydrogen-reduced iron compared with ferrous sulfate was 77 % and 49 % , respectively
Quantitative relations between baseline iron status , study duration , and iron dose on changes in iron-status biomarkers , which were generated from the meta-analyses , can be used to predict effects of trials of iron supplementation and fortification and to design iron-intervention programs
BACKGROUND The response of status biomarkers to an increase in iron supply depends on several physiologic and environmental factors , which make it difficult to predict the outcome of an intervention .
OBJECTIVE We assessed effects of baseline iron status , sex , menopausal status , duration of intervention , iron form , and daily dose on the change in iron status in response to iron supplementation .