Effects of Wheat Flour Fortified with Different Iron Fortificants on Iron Status and Anemia Prevalence in Iron Deficient Anemic Students in Northern China

Objectives: To compare the effects of wheat flours fortified with NaFeEDTA, FeSO4 and elemental iron (electrolytic iron), in improving iron status in anemic students.

Methods: Four hundreds anemic students (11 to 18 years old) were divided into four groups and given wheat flour fortified with different iron fortificants at different concentrations: control group (no added iron); NaFeEDTA group (20 mg Fe/kg); FeSO4 group (30 mg Fe/kg); and elemental iron group (60 mg Fe/kg). The trial lasted for 6 months and the following parameters were examined every 2 months: whole blood hemoglobin, free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum ferritin, serum iron, total iron binding capacity and transferrin receptor.

Results: The flour consumption in the 4 groups was 300-400 g/person/day, accounted for 70% of total cereal consumption in the diets. There were no significant differences in flour consumption among the 4 groups. Blood hemoglobin level increased in all the 3 intervened groups, but the increment in the NaFeEDTA group was significantly higher and earlier than the other 2 groups; and only 1% of the subjected remained anemic at the end of the trial in the NaFeEDTA group, while 40% and 60% of the subjects in the FeSO4 and electrolytic iron group remained anemic, respectively. The order of improvements in free erythrocyte protoporphyrin, serum ferritin and transferring receptor levels were: NaFeEDTA > FeSO4 > electrolytic iron. No significant changes were found in the control group on all the tested parameters during the trial.

Conclusions: The results indicated that even NaFeEDTA was added at a lower level, it has better effects than FeSO4 and elemental iron on controlling iron deficiency anemia and improving iron status in anemic children; while elemental iron was the least effective.