According to a new study in Obstetrics and Gynecology taking a daily iron supplement may help prevent certain types of infertility.
The small study was conducted at the Harvard School of Public Health. Researchers analyzed dietary intake of more than 18,000 women who were pregnant or tried to conceive during an 8 year period.
Infertility due to anovulation occured in 438 women. This is one type of infertility that occurs when a woman fails to release an egg each month during ovulation. These women can lack a period all together, or still have a period without ovulation.
The study looked at the effect of diets high in iron and iron supplementation in both infertile and fertile women. They found that iron supplements decreased the risk of anovulatory infertility by as much as 40 percent. When accounting for dietary intake of iron, only a particular type of iron was associated with a decrease in infertility risk.
Non-heme iron, that found in supplements and from plant sources was associated with a decrease incidence of infertility. Heme iron, mainly found in meat and seafood, was not associated with a reduced risk.
The study did not determine a mechanism for irons effect on this particular type of infertility, but the authors were satisfied with the results and recommended that any woman attempting to become pregnant take an iron supplement.
Iron deficiency during pregnancy is common due to changes in the volume and composition of blood and because the developing fetus takes from the woman's stores. Taking an iron supplement has few side effects, most notably constipation.
Posted by Dr. Christina Gutierrez on November 6, 2006 02:08 PM
