Modification of iron status in young overweight/mildly obese women by two dietary interventions designed to achieve weight loss

• Published in: Annals of nutrition and metabolism Vol. 51; no. 4; pp. 367 - 373
• Main Authors: Rodríguez-Rodríguez, E., López-Sobaler, A.M., Andrés, P., Aparicio, A., Navia, B., Ortega, R.M.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Basel, Switzerland S. Karger AG 01.01.2007
• Subjects: Adult; Body weight; Diet; Diet, Reducing; Edible Grain; Energy Intake; Female; food intake; grain products; heme iron; Humans; Iron; Iron - administration & dosage; Iron - deficiency; Iron - metabolism; low calorie diet; nutrient deficiencies; nutrient intake; Nutrition; Nutritional Status; Obesity; Obesity - diet therapy; Obesity - metabolism; Original Paper; Overweight; Risk Factors; Vegetables; Vitamin deficiency; Weight control; weight control programs; weight loss; Weight Loss - physiology; Women; Dietary intervention; Cereals; Vegetables; Iron status; Overweight
• ISSN: 0250-6807; 1421-9697
• DOI: 10.1159/000107680

Aims: 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.