Iron deficiency can hamper brain function, new research suggests. Conversely, iron sufficiency can enhance cognitive ability. Two recent studies – one on women and one on toddlers – indicate that iron deficiency may hamper proper brain function.
In a Pennsylvania State University study, women ages 18 to 35 years old of varied iron status were randomly assigned to receive iron supplements or a placebo.Even before treatment, the iron-sufficient women performed better on cognitive tasks than the iron-deficient women did. After 16 weeks, the cognitive performance of women who received iron supplements improved, as did their speed in completing cognitive tasks.
Meanwhile, a research review from the Wyckoff Heights Medical Center in Brooklyn, New York associates iron deficiency with impaired cognition in toddlers.The daily iron intake of one- and two-year-olds is lower than at any other stage of life, presenting the risk of iron deficiency anemia (IDA). "IDA during the first two years of life is associated with impaired mental and psychomotor development and these deficits are long lasting, and perhaps irreversible, despite the correction of the anemia," the research review says.
Recommended supplementation once breastfeeding or an iron-fortified formula is stopped: 10 mg of elemental iron daily via iron-fortified vitamins, iron drops or iron-fortified drinks.
Sources: Am J Clin Nutr. 2007 Mar;85(3):778-87; Paediatr Drugs. 2005;7(6):347-52
