By Jimmy Downs

Monday Dec 10, 2012 (foodconsumer.org) -- Iron supplements with folate supplement can effectively prevent anemia when they are taken either weekly or daily. But daily supplementation can lead to excess oxidative stress, according to a study in Reproductive Toxicology.

INACG/WHO/UNICEF recommend that pregnant women who have iron deficiency, but no anemia use iron in a dose of 60 yo 120 mg and folic acid in a dose of 0.4 mg to prevent anemia.  The current study suggests that women at risk of iron deficiency but have no anemia should take iron supplements only on a daily basis.

E. Fernando at Department of Nutritional Sciences and Toxicology, University of California at Berkeley, USA and colleagues conducted the study and found both weekly and daily supplementation with iron and folate was effective at preventing anemia.  But daily supplementation can lead to excessive serum iron levels, which are potentially harmful.

The study involved 100 non-anemic Mexican pregnant women of whom 30% were found iron-deficient at week 20 and were randomly assigned to receive iron/folate supplements either weekly for eight weeks and then daily for eight weeks and then vise versus.

Thio-barbituric-acid-reacting-substances (TBARS) serum ferritin, iron, and excessively elevated hemoglobin were measured and found higher when pregnant women were supplemented with iron/folate on a daily basis.  In comparison, weekly supplementation resulted in more desired values of these parameters.

The researchers concluded "In non-anemic pregnant women both schemes prevented significant anemia. Oxidative stress occurred only during daily supplementation periods. Weekly supplementation appears safer."