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Friday, January 20, 2017

An iron supplement bar given to anemic women in and around Mumbai, India, led to increased hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, reducing anemia with no reported side effects, according to a study by Duke University researchers and collaborators in India.

The study appears in the Jan. 18 edition of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

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.

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