Reduced iron
What the research shows
No concerns
none of the findings here link it to harm
A type of iron powder.1
- Vegan
- Vegetarian
What research says
Studies in people
-
Benefit
Fortified snack effects2
In women with low iron, snacks fortified with reduced iron raised their iron levels, though less than ferrous sulfate did.
Animal and lab studies only
-
No harm found
Baking and mineral uptake4
In animal studies, baking bread did not help the body absorb reduced iron any better.
How it’s made and used
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Mineral uptake in body3
In animal and lab studies, reduced iron added to wheat flour was absorbed better than another iron powder.
The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.
References
- 1Iron powder. Wikipedia. Accessed September 26, 2026. CC BY-SA 4.0.
- 2Zimmermann MB, Winichagoon P, Gowachirapant S, et al. Comparison of the efficacy of wheat-based snacks fortified with ferrous sulfate, electrolytic iron, or hydrogen-reduced elemental iron: randomized, double-blind, controlled trial in Thai women. Am J Clin Nutr. 2005;82(6):1276-82. doi:10.1093/ajcn/82.6.1276
- 3Jyrwa YW, Yaduvanshi PS, Sinha GR, et al. Bioavailability of iron from novel hydrogen reduced iron powders: Studies in Caco-2 cells and rat model. J Food Sci. 2021;86(8):3480-3491. doi:10.1111/1750-3841.15828
- 4Maekawa AA, Glahn RP, Lei XG, Miller DD. Effect of bread baking on the bioavailability of hydrogen-reduced iron powder added to unenriched refined wheat flour. J Agric Food Chem. 2006;54(21):8362-8. doi:10.1021/jf0615395