Can an iron-rich staple food help women to achieve dietary targets in pregnancy?

摘要

Habitual Fe intakes during pregnancy are typically lower than dietary guidelines, thus posing a risk for Fe deficiency. The aim of this study was to determine whether regular consumption of bread naturally rich in Fe could help women to achieve dietary targets. 33 primiparous mothers were randomised to eat 3-4 slices of Fe-rich or control bread daily for 6 wk. Two 24-h-prompted (multiple-pass) dietary recalls were completed, and validated algorithms were used to determine the amount of "available Fe" from the diet. Regular consumption of Fe-rich bread helped pregnant women to achieve UK dietary recommendations; the quantity of bread consumed by the participants contributed 27% vs. 9% UK Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI; 14.8 mg/day) in the intervention vs. the control group. Levels of total "available Fe" were similar in both groups and correlated positively with total dietary Fe (r = 0.78, P = 0.0001), vitamin C (r = 0.43, P = 0.017) and non-haem Fe (r = 0.77, P = 0.0001). Findings from this study showed that Fe-rich staple foods can help women reach dietary targets for Fe. This is an area of great potential that could be of particular benefit to low-income/ethnically diverse population groups who have some of the lowest Fe intakes. Further research using fortified staple foods containing higher levels of Fe is now warranted to establish physiological benefits.