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 .
Ferrous sulfate is more bioavailable among preschoolers than other forms of iron in a milk-based weaning food distributed by PROGRESA, a national program in Mexico.
After 1 y of distributing a milk-based fortified weaning food provided by the Mexican social program PROGRESA , positive effects on physical growth , prevalence of anemia , and several vitamin deficiencies were observed . There was no effect on iron status , which we hypothesized was related to the poor bioavailability of the reduced iron used as a fortificant in PROGRESA . The objective of this study was to compare the iron bioavailability from different iron sources added as fortificants to the weaning food . Children ( n = 54 ) aged 2 - 4 y were r and omly assigned to receive 44 g of the weaning food fortified with ferrous sulfate , ferrous fumarate , or reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA .  Iron absorption was measured using an established double-tracer isotopic methodology . Iron absorption from ferrous sulfate ( 7.9 + /- 9.8 % ) was greater than from either ferrous fumarate ( 2.43 + /- 2.3 % ) or reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA ( 1.4 + /- 1.3 % ) ( P < 0.01 ) . The absorption of log-(58)Fe sulfate given with the iron source correlated with serum ferritin ( s-ferritin ) concentration ( n = 13 , r = 0.63 , P = 0.01 ) and log-(57)Fe absorption ( reference dose ) ( n = 14 , r = -0.52 , P = 0.02 ) . Absorption from ferrous fumarate and reduced iron + Na2EDTA did not correlate with s-ferritin or absorption of (57)Fe . The recommended daily portion of the fortified complementary food provides an average of 0.256 , 0.096 , 0.046 mmol ( 1.44 , 0.54 , and 0.26 mg ) of absorbed iron , if fortified with sulfate , fumarate and reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA , respectively . Ferrous sulfate was more bioavailable than either ferrous fumarate or reduced iron + Na(2)EDTA when added to the milk-based fortified food and more readily met the average daily iron requirements for children 2 - 3 y of age
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 .