title: Heme iron-based dietary intervention for improvement of iron status in young women.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Conventional iron deficiency treatment with pharmacologic iron doses often causes side effects. Heme iron has high bioavailability and a low capacity to cause gastrointestinal side effects. This study investigated the possibility of using heme iron in the form of blood-based crisp bread as a diet-based treatment program to improve the iron status of women of reproductive age.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a 12-wk intervention study, 77 women (mean age 24 y) were assigned to one of four groups: blood-based crisp bread (35 mg of iron [Fe], 27 mg of which was heme Fe), iron supplementation consisting of 35 mg of non-heme iron/day (Fe35), iron supplementation consisting of 60 mg of non-heme iron/day (Fe60), and controls (iron-free tablets).
  
  
  RESULTS
  Body iron increased significantly in the crisp bread group by a median of 2.7 mg/kg (interquartile range 3.1, n = 18), in the Fe35 group by 2.7 mg/kg (interquartile range 2.8, n = 11), and in the Fe60 group by 4.1 mg/kg (interquartile range 3.6, n = 13), whereas no change was observed in the control group. No statistically significant difference in iron status increase was observed between the crisp bread group compared with the two iron-supplemented groups.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Dietary-based treatment containing heme iron has few side effects and can be used efficiently to improve the iron status of women of reproductive age.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Nutrition, Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg, Sweden. michael.hoppe@nutrition.gu.se
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hoppe
authors.forename: Beatrice
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Brün
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Larsson
authors.forename: Lotta
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moraeus
authors.forename: Lena
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Hulthén
mesh_terms: D001939:Bread / Q000009:adverse effects; D019587:Dietary Supplements / Q000009:adverse effects; D005260:Female; D041981:Gastrointestinal Tract / Q000187:drug effects; D006418:Heme / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary; D006418:Heme; D007501:Iron