Modification of iron status in young overweight/mildly obese women by two dietary interventions designed to achieve weight loss.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the modification of iron status in a group of overweight/mildly obese women following two different weight control programs.


METHODS
The study subjects were 57 women who were assigned to one of two slightly hypocaloric diets: V (increased consumption of vegetables), or C (increased consumption of cereals, especially breakfast cereals). All data were determined at the start of the study and at 2 and 6 weeks into the dietary intervention period.


RESULTS
Both diets led to a reduction in body weight and heme iron intake, and an increase in the intake of total and non-heme iron, at 2 and 6 weeks. At 6 weeks, a reduction in transferrin levels was seen in C subjects. Subjects with the worst initial iron status (hemoglobin <P25: 12.6 g/l) following C diet showed an increase of mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration at 2 and 6 weeks and improved hemoglobin levels at 6. Also at 6 weeks, the C subjects had more erythrocytes than similar V subjects (only considering women with hemoglobin <P25: 12.6 g/l).


CONCLUSIONS
A well-designed hypocaloric diet need not entail a risk of iron deficiency. Breakfast cereals are an important source of non-heme iron and could help to improve iron status, especially in women with poor initial iron levels.
Rodríguez-Rodríguez
E
E
Departamento de Nutrición, Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad Complutense, Madrid, Spain.
López-Sobaler
A M
AM
Andrés
P
P
Aparicio
A
A
Navia
B
B
Ortega
R M
RM
D000328:Adult; D004038:Diet, Reducing; D002523:Edible Grain; D002149:Energy Intake; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D009752:Nutritional Status; D009765:Obesity / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D050177:Overweight; D012307:Risk Factors; D014675:Vegetables; D015431:Weight Loss / Q000502:physiology*
D007501:Iron