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Impact of menstrual blood loss and diet on iron deficiency among women in the UK

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 March 2007

Linda J. Harvey ,
Charlotte N. Armah ,
Jack R. Dainty ,
Robert J. Foxall ,
D. John Lewis ,
Nicola J. Langford  and
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Linda J. Harvey*
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Charlotte N. Armah
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Jack R. Dainty
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
Robert J. Foxall
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
D. John Lewis
Affiliation:
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, YO4 1LZ, UK
Nicola J. Langford
Affiliation:
Central Science Laboratory, Sand Hutton, York, YO4 1LZ, UK
Susan J. Fairweather-Tait
Affiliation:
Institute of Food Research, Norwich Research Park, Colney, Norwich NR4 7UA, UK
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Linda Harvey, fax +44 (0) 1603 507723, email [email protected]
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Abstract

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Women of childbearing age are at risk of Fe deficiency if insufficient dietary Fe is available to replace menstrual and other Fe losses. Haem Fe represents 10–15 % of dietary Fe intake in meat-rich diets but may contribute 40 % of the total absorbed Fe. The aim of the present study was to determine the relative effects of type of diet and menstrual Fe loss on Fe status in women. Ninety healthy premenopausal women were recruited according to their habitual diet: red meat, poultry/fish or lacto-ovo-vegetarian. Intake of Fe was determined by analysing 7 d duplicate diets, and menstrual Fe loss was measured using the alkaline haematin method. A substantial proportion of women (60 % red meat, 40 % lacto-ovo-vegetarian, 20 % poultry/fish) had low Fe stores (serum ferritin <10 μg/l), but the median serum ferritin concentration was significantly lower in the red meat group (6·8 μg/l (interquartile range 3·3, 16·25)) than in the poultry/fish group (17·5 μg/l (interquartile range 11·3, 22·4) (P<0·01). The mean and standard deviation of dietary Fe intake were significantly different between the groups (P=0·025); the red meat group had a significantly lower intake (10·9 (sd 4·3) mg/d) than the lacto-ovo-vegetarians (14·5 (sd 5·5) mg/d), whereas that of the poultry/fish group (12·8 (sd 5·1) mg/d) was not significantly different from the other groups. There was no relationship between total Fe intake and Fe status, but menstrual Fe loss (P=0·001) and dietary group (P=0·040) were significant predictors of Fe status: poultry/fish diets were associated with higher Fe stores than lacto-ovo-vegetarian diets. Identifying individuals with high menstrual losses should be a key component of strategies to prevent Fe deficiency.

Keywords

Iron deficiencyMenstrual lossFe statusWomenVegetarianMeat
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 94 , Issue 4 , October 2005 , pp. 557 - 564
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2005

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