Eur J Nutr. 2004 Sep 3 [Epub ahead of print] Related Articles, Links  

 
A decrease in iron status in young healthy women after long-term daily
consumption of the recommended intake of fibre-rich wheat bread.

Bach Kristensen M, Tetens I, Alstrup Jorgensen AB, Dal Thomsen A, Milman N,
Hels O, Sandstrom Dagger B, Hansen M.

The Dept. of Human Nutrition, The Royal Veterinary & Agricultural University,
Rolighedsvej 30, 1958, Frederiksberg C, Denmark.

BACKGROUND. Fibrerich bread and cereals are included in the recommendations of
a healthy diet. OBJECTIVE. To measure the effects of long-term consumption of
the recommended intake of fibre-rich wheat bread on the iron status of young
healthy women with adequate iron stores. DESIGN. Four-months intervention study
including healthy female subjects assigned into two groups provided daily with
300 g of fibre-rich wheat bread, prepared with or without phytase as a
supplement to their habitual diet. SUBJECTS. Forty-one women aged 24.8 +/- 3.8
years (mean +/- SD) and an average BMI of 22.0 +/- 2.9 kg/m2 participated.
Baseline values for serum ferritin were 45 micro g/L, 22-83 (geometric mean,
range) and for haemoglobin 132 g/L, 119-148 (arithmetic mean, range),
respectively. RESULTS. Distribution of energy intake from protein, fat and
carbohydrate, and daily intake of dietary fibre and iron were similar in the
two groups and within the recommended levels. There was no effect of the
phytase added to the wheat bread on the iron status of the subjects, but an
effect of the intervention period. Serum ferritin and haemoglobin levels were
significantly reduced by 12 +/- 1.1 micro g/L (27%) ( P < 0.001) and 2 +/- 0.8
g/l (1.5%) (mean +/- SE) ( P < 0.05) respectively, after four months of
intervention. CONCLUSIONS. The present long-term study indicates that
consumption of the recommended daily intake of fibre-rich wheat bread results
in an impairment of iron status in women with initially sufficient iron stores.
Reduction of the phytic acid concentration in the bread was not sufficient to
maintain iron status.

PMID: 15349738 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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