Coffee Consumption in Association with Serum Iron Levels: A Cross-sectional Study

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Hematology
• Public Health

Background:

• Coffee consumption is prevalent globally, with varying dietary impacts.
• Iron deficiency remains a public health concern in Saudi Arabia.
• Understanding dietary factors influencing iron status is crucial for population health.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between adult Saudi Arabian coffee consumption and serum iron levels.
• To examine the relationship between coffee intake and white blood cell (WBC) counts.
• To provide current data on iron status and coffee consumption in Saudi Arabia.

Main Methods:

• Cross-sectional community-based study conducted from October 2020 to June 2022.
• 113 adult participants (83.2% female, 16.8% male) with a mean age of 33 years.
• Systematic simple random sampling used for participant selection.

Main Results:

• Occasional coffee drinkers showed higher iron absorption (54.9%) compared to regular drinkers (45.1%).
• Mean baseline WBC level was 6.396 (10^3/μl), decreasing to 6.114 (10^3/μl) by June 2022.
• Mean baseline iron level was 44.29, increasing to 72.15 by June 2022, with a significant correlation (0.719, p=0.000).
• Neither WBC counts nor iron levels showed statistically significant alterations despite observed changes.

Conclusions:

• The study found no significant impact of coffee consumption on serum iron or WBC levels in Saudi adults.
• A correlation exists between coffee consumption and changes in serum iron and WBC counts, but the clinical significance requires further investigation.
• Additional research is recommended to elucidate potential underlying mechanisms linking coffee intake and hematological parameters.