Sensitivity analyses and meta-regression for hemoglobin suggested a higher response with lower trial quality ( suboptimal allocation concealment and blinding ) , use of condiments , and sodium iron edetate and a lower response when adults were included .
Consumption of iron-fortified foods results in an improvement in hemoglobin , serum ferritin , and iron nutriture and a reduced risk of remaining anemic and iron deficient
BACKGROUND The utility of iron fortification of food to improve iron deficiency , anemia , and biological outcomes is not proven unequivocally .
The use of iron-fortified wheat flour to reduce anemia among the estate population in Sri Lanka.
The use of flour fortified with 66 mg/kg of electrolytic or reduced iron to reduce the prevalence of anemia was determined in a two-year , double-blind , controlled trial . The trial was conducted in Sri Lanka among preschoolers between 9 and 71 months old , primary schoolers 6 to 11 years old , and nonpregnant women . At baseline , 18.4 % of the preschoolers had low hemoglobin ( Hb ) concentrations .  Neither electrolytic nor reduced iron had an effect on Hb concentration among preschoolers . Only 7 % of the primary schoolers were anemic at the start of the trial and , again , fortification had no effect on Hb concentration . Twenty-nine percent of women had a low Hb at outset and there was no evidence that fortification had an effect on Hb in this group . The findings from this study suggest that fortification of flour with electrolytic iron or reduced iron was not beneficial in reducing anemia in this population . This was probably due to the low prevalence of anemia and low bioavailability of the fortificant iron . Fortification with either iron fortificant was acceptable
Sensitivity analyses and meta-regression for hemoglobin suggested a higher response with lower trial quality ( suboptimal allocation concealment and blinding ) , use of condiments , and sodium iron edetate and a lower response when adults were included .
Consumption of iron-fortified foods results in an improvement in hemoglobin , serum ferritin , and iron nutriture and a reduced risk of remaining anemic and iron deficient
BACKGROUND The utility of iron fortification of food to improve iron deficiency , anemia , and biological outcomes is not proven unequivocally .