title: Consuming Iron Biofortified Beans Increases Iron Status in Rwandan Women after 128 Days in a Randomized Controlled Feeding Trial.
abstract: Food-based strategies to reduce nutritional iron deficiency have not been universally successful. Biofortification has the potential to become a sustainable, inexpensive, and effective solution.
  
  
  
  This randomized controlled trial was conducted to determine the efficacy of iron-biofortified beans (Fe-Beans) to improve iron status in Rwandan women.
  
  
  
  A total of 195 women (aged 18-27 y) with serum ferritin <20 μg/L were randomly assigned to receive either Fe-Beans, with 86 mg Fe/kg, or standard unfortified beans (Control-Beans), with 50 mg Fe/kg, 2 times/d for 128 d in Huye, Rwanda. Iron status was assessed by hemoglobin, serum ferritin, soluble transferrin receptor (sTfR), and body iron (BI); inflammation was assessed by serum C-reactive protein (CRP) and serum α1-acid glycoprotein (AGP). Anthropometric measurements were performed at baseline and at end line. Random weekly serial sampling was used to collect blood during the middle 8 wk of the feeding trial. Mixed-effects regression analysis with repeated measurements was used to evaluate the effect of Fe-Beans compared with Control-Beans on iron biomarkers throughout the course of the study.
  
  
  
  At baseline, 86% of subjects were iron-deficient (serum ferritin <15 μg/L) and 37% were anemic (hemoglobin <120 g/L). Both groups consumed an average of 336 g wet beans/d. The Fe-Beans group consumed 14.5 ± 1.6 mg Fe/d from biofortified beans, whereas the Control-Beans group consumed 8.6 ± 0.8 mg Fe/d from standard beans (P < 0.05). Repeated-measures analyses showed significant time-by-treatment interactions for hemoglobin, log serum ferritin, and BI (P < 0.05). The Fe-Beans group had significantly greater increases in hemoglobin (3.8 g/L), log serum ferritin (0.1 log μg/L), and BI (0.5 mg/kg) than did controls after 128 d. For every 1 g Fe consumed from beans over the 128 study days, there was a significant 4.2-g/L increase in hemoglobin (P < 0.05).
  
  
  
  The consumption of iron-biofortified beans significantly improved iron status in Rwandan women. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01594359.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY; jdh12@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: Jere D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY;
authors.forename: Sarah V
authors.initials: SV
authors.lastname: Luna
authors.affiliation: HarvestPlus, International Center for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT)/Rwanda, Kigali, Rwanda;
authors.forename: Mercy G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Lung'aho
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology and Cellular and Behavioral Neurobiology, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK;
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Wenger
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, The Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA;
authors.forename: Laura E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Murray-Kolb
authors.affiliation: Bean Program, CIAT, Cali, Colombia;
authors.forename: Stephen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Beebe
authors.affiliation: Faculty of Medicine and Pharmacy, College of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of Rwanda, Huye, Rwanda; and.
authors.forename: Jean-Bosco
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Gahutu
authors.affiliation: Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Ines M
authors.initials: IM
authors.lastname: Egli
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000740:Anemia / Q000453:epidemiology; D018798:Anemia, Iron-Deficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000453:epidemiology; D002097:C-Reactive Protein / Q000378:metabolism; D004032:Diet; D007887:Fabaceae; D005247:Feeding Behavior; D005260:Female; D005293:Ferritins / Q000097:blood; D005527:Food, Fortified; D006454:Hemoglobins / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D009752:Nutritional Status; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin / Q000097:blood; D012432:Rwanda / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D006454:Hemoglobins; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D011990:Receptors, Transferrin; D002097:C-Reactive Protein; D005293:Ferritins; D007501:Iron
keywords: Rwanda; beans; biofortification; ferritin; hemoglobin; iron; women