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Iron deficiency in ethnic minorities: associations with dietary fibre and phytate
Insights
Ethnic minority children aged 7 months and older had lower serum ferritin levels, despite similar iron intake compared to white children. Higher dietary phytate and fiber in minority diets may reduce iron absorption, impacting ferritin levels.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Hematology
- Dietary Impact on Iron Absorption
Background:
- Serum ferritin levels are a key indicator of iron status in children.
- Ethnic variations in iron status have been observed, but underlying causes require further investigation.
- Dietary factors, including phytates and fiber, are known to influence mineral absorption.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate ethnic differences in serum ferritin and full blood count parameters in children.
- To explore the relationship between dietary intake, ethnic origin, and iron status indicators.
- To identify potential dietary factors contributing to observed differences in ferritin levels.
Main Methods:
- Cross-sectional study involving 112 children from White Caucasian, West Indian, and Asian ethnic groups.
- Routine blood tests including full blood count and serum ferritin determination.
- Nutritional survey assessing dietary intake of energy, protein, iron, phytates, and fiber.
Main Results:
- Children aged 7 months to 14 years 5 months from ethnic minority groups showed lower serum ferritin levels compared to White Caucasians.
- Hemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume levels were similar across ethnic groups in older children.
- Lower height centiles correlated with reduced ferritin levels, independent of ethnicity.
- Ethnic minority groups had higher dietary intakes of phytate and fiber, with Asian diets less frequently including meat as an iron source.
Conclusions:
- Higher dietary phytate and fiber intake in West Indian and Asian children may impair iron absorption, leading to lower serum ferritin levels.
- Dietary composition, particularly phytate and fiber content, plays a significant role in iron status differences across ethnic groups.
- Further research into dietary interventions may be beneficial for optimizing iron status in at-risk pediatric populations.
Abstract:
Routine full blood counts and serum ferritin determinations were carried out after admission to hospital in 112 children which included a white caucasian group (n = 65) and two ethnic minority groups of West Indians (n = 24) and Asians (n = 23). In these 3 groups those children between the ages of 1 week and 6 months were found to have similar haemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, and ferritin levels. In the remaining children (aged from 7 months to 14 years 5 months) serum ferritin levels were lower in the ethnic minority groups than in white caucasians, but the haemoglobin and mean corpuscular volume were not significantly different. Children with lower height centiles had reduced ferritin levels, irrespective of their ethnic origins. A nutritional survey between the ages of 7 months and 14 years 5 months showed that mean daily dietary intakes of energy, protein, and iron in white caucasions were similar to those in West Indian and Asian children. The differences noted were in larger phytate and fibre intakes in the ethnic minority groups. Asian diets appeared to differ in containing meat less often as a source of iron, while pulses and chapattis provided more phytate and fibre. It is suggested that dietary intakes of phytate and fibre are important in causing lower ferritin levels by reducing iron absorption.