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Association between Haem and Non-Haem Iron Intake and Serum Ferritin in Healthy Young Women

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This cross-sectional secondary analysis of 270 healthy young women in New South Wales estimated haem and non-haem iron intake from a validated food frequency questionnaire and related it to inflammation-corrected serum ferritin. Both forms were positively associated with ferritin, and haem iron was the stronger predictor. About one third of the women had low iron status.

Key numbers

  • Iron deficiency (ferritin below 20 µg/L) 26.3% (n = 71) and iron deficiency anemia (hemoglobin below 120 g/L) 5.9% (n = 16); 67.5% iron replete (Results, p. 5).
  • Energy-adjusted daily intake, whole group (n = 270): total iron 12.7 ± 2.6 mg, haem iron 2.0 ± 0.9 mg, non-haem iron 10.7 ± 2.7 mg (Table 2, p. 6).
  • Iron replete versus deficient: total iron 12.9 ± 2.9 versus 12.2 ± 1.9 mg (p = 0.012); haem iron 2.1 ± 1.0 versus 1.8 ± 0.8 mg (p = 0.043) (Table 2).
  • Model coefficients for serum ferritin (energy-adjusted): haem iron beta 0.128 (p = 0.009), non-haem iron beta 0.037 (p = 0.028); model adjusted R squared 0.058 (Table 3, p. 7).
  • Background stated by the authors: haem iron makes up approximately 55% to 70% of the iron in meat, poultry and fish, and typically 10% to 15% of iron intake in an omnivorous diet (Introduction, p. 2).

Methods (brief)

Women were screened to exclude pregnancy, iron supplement use, regular blood donation and known iron deficiency. Fasting blood was analyzed by an accredited laboratory, with ferritin corrected for C-reactive protein and alpha-1 acid glycoprotein. Food iron content was back-calculated from questionnaire output, and haem fractions came from 1997 Australian meat analyses.

Evidence fitness

Supports statements about the relative contribution of haem and non-haem iron to iron status in a well-nourished population, and about the burden of low iron status in young women. Associations are cross-sectional and explain little of the ferritin variance; the study says nothing about excess intake.

Limitations

Food frequency questionnaire error and widespread low-energy reporting (57.8%), haem content estimated from decades-old food data, and no direct food analysis. Data collection for the original study was funded by Meat and Livestock Australia, a meat industry body; the authors declared no conflicts.

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