Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 May 21;7(5):3847-68.
doi: 10.3390/nu7053847.

Multiple-Micronutrient Fortified Non-Dairy Beverage Interventions Reduce the Risk of Anemia and Iron Deficiency in School-Aged Children in Low-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (i-iv)

Grant J Aaron  1 , Daphna K Dror  2 , Zhenyu Yang  3
Affiliations
Review

Multiple-Micronutrient Fortified Non-Dairy Beverage Interventions Reduce the Risk of Anemia and Iron Deficiency in School-Aged Children in Low-Middle Income Countries: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (i-iv)

Grant J Aaron et al. Nutrients. .

Abstract

Multiple-micronutrient (MMN) fortification of beverages may be an effective option to deliver micronutrients to vulnerable populations. The aim of the present systematic review and meta-analysis is to evaluate the nutritional impacts of MMN fortified beverages in the context of low-middle income countries. A systematic search of published literature yielded 1022 citations, of which 10 randomized controlled trials (nine in school-aged children and one in pregnant women) met inclusion criteria. Results of school-aged children were included in the meta-analysis. Compared to iso-caloric controls, children who received MMN fortified beverages for 8 weeks to 6 months showed significant improvements in hemoglobin (+2.76 g/L, 95% CI [1.19, 4.33], p = 0.004; 8 studies) and serum ferritin (+15.42 pmol/L, [5.73, 25.12], p = 0.007; 8 studies); and reduced risk of anemia (RR 0.58 [0.29, 0.88], p = 0.005; 6 studies), iron deficiency (RR 0.34 [0.21, 0.55], p = 0.002; 7 studies), and iron deficiency anemia (RR 0.17 [0.06, 0.53], p = 0.02; 3 studies). MMN fortified beverage interventions could have major programmatic implications for reducing the burden of anemia and iron deficiency in school-aged children in low-middle income countries. Additional research is needed to investigate effects on other biochemical outcomes and population subgroups.

Keywords: beverages; children; fortification; low-income; multiple-micronutrients.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Forest plot of studies assessing hemoglobin and iron outcomes. Consumption of MMN beverages fortified compared to iso-caloric controls significantly reduced the risk of anemia (1A); iron deficiency (1B); and iron deficiency anemia (1C).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

References

    1. Allen L.H., Peerson J.M., Olney D.K. Provision of multiple rather than two or fewer micronutrients more effectively improves growth and other outcomes in micronutrient-deficient children and adults. J. Nutr. 2009;139:1022–1030. doi: 10.3945/jn.107.086199. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Bhutta Z., Salam R. Global nutrition epidemiology and trends. Annu. Nutr. Metab. 2012;61:19–27. doi: 10.1159/000345167. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Guerrant R.L., Lima A.A.M., Davidson F. Micronutrients and infection: Interactions and implications with enteric and other infections and future priorities. J. Infect. Dis. 2000;182:S134–S138. doi: 10.1086/315924. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Black R.E., Victora C.G., Walker S.P., Bhutta Z.A., Christian P., de Onis M., Ezzati M., Grantham-McGregor S., Katz J., Martorell R., et al. Maternal and child undernutrition and overweight in low-income and middle-income countries. Lancet. 2013;382:427–451. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(13)60937-X. - DOI - PubMed
    1. Olney D.K., Rawat R., Ruel M.T. Identifying potential programs and platforms to deliver multiple micronutrient interventions. J. Nutr. 2012;142:178S–185S. doi: 10.3945/jn.110.137182. - DOI - PubMed