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Iron-Fortified Bars Can Help Combat Anemia

Iron-Fortified Bars Can Help Combat Anemia

by Julia Samuel on Jan 20 2017 2:59 PM
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Highlights

  • Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common nutritional disorder mostly in women.
  • Iron supplement pills often have gastrointestinal side effects like constipation and are undesirable for many.
  • Daily consumption of an iron-supplement bar leads to increased hemoglobin concentrations in anemic women.
An iron supplement bar made with locally available iron-rich ingredients increased the hemoglobin and hematocrit levels in anemic women in and around Mumbai, India.
The bar reduced anemia with no reported side effects, according to a study by Duke University researchers and collaborators in India.

According to study authors, iron-fortified foods offer a more attractive alternative, but large-scale production and distribution have proven unsustainable.

Duke medical student and lead author Rajvi Mehta developed the supplement bar made with iron-rich natural, local and culturally accepted ingredients. The GudNesS bars contain the World Health Organization's daily recommended dose of iron (containing 14 mg Fe).

The study, conducted from March-August 2014 in Mumbai and Navi Mumbai, India, involved 179 anemic non-pregnant participants of reproductive age in 10 demographically diverse sites. The sites were then randomly placed in either a control group or an intervention group with the latter receiving one iron supplement bar daily for 90 days.

Each group underwent three blood tests during the 90-day follow-up period to measure their hemoglobin and hematocrit. It was a rare study to examine changes in hematocrit as an outcome in an Indian population.

"We are encouraged by the results of this study which show a positive connection between consuming an iron-fortified nutrition bar and a reduction in anemia prevalence," said Elizabeth Turner, study author and assistant professor of biostatistics and global health at Duke. "It appears to be a practical and well-tolerated solution to a significant health challenge in India."

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Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common and widespread nutritional disorder in the world, and in India it affects more than 600 million people. India's high prevalence of iron-deficiency anemia is largely due to the local vegetarian diet.

Iron-deficiency anemia can cause fatigue, pregnancy complications and heart problems. Iron supplement pills often have gastrointestinal side effects, so are an undesirable remedy for many people.

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In 2011, Mehta worked with nutritionists and physicians in India to establish a social venture there called Let's Be Well Red (LBWR) to begin large-scale production of the bars.

Let's Be Well Red is currently operating in three locations in India and produces 100,000 bars each year that it distributes throughout the country.

"Anemia is a debilitating condition that can have severe health consequences," said Mehta. "I am thrilled that my colleagues and I were able to develop a solution that has proven to be effective among a high-risk population. Making an impact in global health has long been a goal of mine."

Reference
  1. Rajvi Mehta et al., Efficacy of iron-supplement bars to reduce anemia in urban Indian women: a cluster-randomized controlled trial, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (2017) http://dx.doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.127555.


Source-Medindia


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