Impact Of Iron Supplementation On Zinc Absorption And Zinc Status During Pregnancy: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Abstract

The objective of the study was to determine the impact of iron supplementation on the absorption and the zinc status of pregnant women. It was a one-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial study that used 17 people and divided them into two groups; one was the iron supplementation group and the other group was the placebo. The respondents were given 100mg of iron in the form of ferrous gluconate in the period of their pregnancy, until they gave birth. The levels of zinc were determined at 16, 24 and 34 weeks of pregnancy by using stable isotope measurements. The findings indicated that iron supplementation did not have a significant effect on zinc absorption or plasma zinc levels and there were small decreases in plasma zinc levels in pregnancy. There were no significant differences in the outcomes of both groups and the zinc absorption efficiency increased as the pregnancy progressed. The exchangeable zinc pool (EZP) was not affected by the iron supplementation implying that the increased zinc requirements in pregnancy were filled by the increased capacity of the body to absorb zinc. On the whole, the investigation came to the conclusion that iron supplementation, in the absence of zinc, does not suppress zinc metabolism in pregnancy.