American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 25, 1143-1146, Copyright © 1972 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Iron-deficiency anemia in an Iranian population associated with high intakes of iron

¹ From the Pahlavi-Pennsylvania Nutrition Research Project, Institute of Nuclear Medicine of Pahlavi University, Nemazee Hospital, Shiraz, Iran

In five villages typical of those in southern Iran, 30% of the children, 24% of females, and 7% of the males over 16 had hemoglobin concentrations of 12 g/100 ml or less. Packed red cell volumes were correspondingly low. Iron concentrations of representative village diets averaged 98.9 ± 10.1 (se) µg/g dry diet. Iron intakes of 18 boys 13 to 14 years old in three villages averaged 44.4 ± 4.49 (se) mg/day and exceeded 18 mg/day in 16.

Treatment of children and adults whose hemoglobin concentrations were below 10.5 g/100 ml or whose packed cell volume was less than 33% with 18 and 109 mg of iron (as ferrous sulfate) daily was followed by a prompt rise in both parameters. Hemoglobin concentrations remained normal or nearly so 8 months after treatment was stopped. The occurrence of iron-deficiency anemia despite high content of iron in the diet is attributed to the substantial intakes of phytate present in the unleavened wholemeal wheat bread that is the main dietary staple of the villagers.