Effect of eight-week vitamin D3-Fortified fruit juice on the recovery of iron status in childbearing-aged women with marginally low iron stores

Vitamin D deficiency (VDD) is associated with anaemia risk, indicating its potential impact on erythropoiesis and iron balance. Limited research exists on vitamin D fortification’s effects on iron status, as studies have primarily focused on supplements. This double-blind, randomised controlled trial (RCT) was carried out to investigate the effect of daily consumption of 4000 IU (100 µg) vitamin D3-fortified fruit juice for 8 weeks on vitamin D and iron status biomarkers in low iron stores women (serum ferritin <20 µg/L) in Selangor and Kuala Lumpur. Participants who were healthy, non￾pregnant/lactating, and between the age of 18-40 years were included in the study, excluding those who had donated blood within 6 months prior, regularly consumed nutritional supplements, or had a history of gastrointestinal/iron metabolic disorders. A total of 45 participants with mean ± SD aged of 25.3 ± 4.6 years were randomly assigned to receive either vitamin D3-fortified fruit juice (n=22) or a placebo (n=23). Measurements of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D), serum ferritin, high sensitivity C￾reactive protein (hs-CRP), and full blood counts (FBC) indices concentrations were collected at baseline, interim, and post-intervention. A mixed-model repeated measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to analyse the intervention effect. Six participants dropped out before completing the study, resulting in a 13% attrition rate. After 8 weeks, the intervention group demonstrated significant improvements in 25(OH)D and serum ferritin concentrations following daily consumption of vitamin D3-fortified fruit juice compared to the placebo group. There were significant changes between the baseline and post-intervention in 25(OH)D (Δ 76.42 ± 30.15 nmol/L vs Δ -1.19 ± 10.72 nmol/L, p=0.001) and serum ferritin concentrations (Δ 2.20 ± 4.16 ug/L vs Δ -0.32 ± 3.44 ug/L, p=0.048) in the intervention group, compared to the placebo group. However, the intervention did not yield significant effects on other iron status biomarkers. In our study, 8 weeks of daily supplementation with vitamin D3-fortified fruit juice improved 25(OH)D and iron stores in low iron stores women, as indicated by increased serum ferritin concentration. The baseline concentrations of vitamin D and iron status biomarkers were reported to have no effects on the intervention however, there is a moderate significant linear association observed between the mean changes of 25(OH)D and ferritin concentrations (r=0.378, p=0.017). Vitamin D-fortified foods may serve as a promising strategy to combat coexisting micronutrient deficiencies, providing a comprehensive approach to enhance nutritional well-being, particularly among populations at risk for ID. Further research is needed to evaluate safety, efficacy, feasibility, and optimal food choices for fortification in diverse populations.

Text FPSK (m) 2024 20 (2) - Full Text.pdf Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (9MB) Text FPSK (m) 2024 20 (2).pdf Restricted to Repository staff only Available under License Creative Commons Attribution Non-commercial No Derivatives. Download (9MB)

Actions (login required)

View Item