Does obesity increase risk of iron deficiency?
According to a study by nutritional scientists at the University of Leeds, children and young people who are overweight or obese are at significantly higher risk of iron deficiency.
The study was published in the journal BMJ Global Health.
Deficiencies in micronutrients contribute to impaired immune function, poor growth and physical development, and increased morbidity and mortality in children. Among the micronutrients, deficiencies in iron, zinc, and vitamin A (VA) remain particularly prevalent and causally associated with adverse health outcomes for children. Iron deficiency (ID) and ID anemia (IDA) are major global health challenges affecting more than 1.2 billion people worldwide.
In the study, Researchers from the School of Food Science and Nutrition examined thousands of medical studies from 44 countries involving people under the age of 25 for observational studies assessing micronutrient status (blood, serum or plasma levels of iron, zinc or VA biomarkers) and weight status (body mass index or other anthropometric measurement).
The researchers found that iron deficiency was associated with both underweight and overweight children and adolescents. By contrast, zinc and vitamin A deficiencies were only observed in children who were undernourished, which concluded that iron deficiency in overweight children is likely due to inflammation disrupting the mechanisms that regulate iron absorption.
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