Ferrous sulfate and blood health in anemic pregnant women
What it found
In anemic pregnant women, 60 mg of iron daily as ferrous sulfate raised blood iron levels and improved markers of oxidative stress over two months.
A different iron form called NaFeEDTA worked slightly better.
What they found
Studies in people
Blood iron levels rose
Compared to the placebo group, hemoglobin rose by 20.5 g/L and plasma iron rose by 4.81 μmol/L in women taking ferrous sulfate. Ferritin, a stored iron marker, went up by 2.63 μg/L.
Oxidative stress markers improved
An enzyme that fights oxidative stress rose by 32.6 IU/ml in the ferrous sulfate group compared to placebo. A marker of cell damage fell by 0.70 μmol/L.
NaFeEDTA outperformed ferrous sulfate
The NaFeEDTA group saw larger gains than the ferrous sulfate group in plasma iron, ferritin, and the protective enzyme. Differences were 2.38 μmol/L, 6.36 μg/L, and 42.7 IU/ml respectively.
What the authors conclude
- They say moderate iron supplementation may help improve iron deficiency and oxidative stress in anemic pregnant women.
- They conclude that NaFeEDTA works better than ferrous sulfate for these outcomes.
How it was done
Iron supports general wellbeing, helps prevent or treat anemia, and assists enzymes that fight oxidative stress. The researchers wanted to compare how two iron forms affected blood iron and oxidative stress in pregnant women with anemia.
They ran a two-month trial with 153 anemic pregnant women whose hemoglobin was between 80 and 110 g/L. Women were split into three groups of 51: one took 60 mg of iron daily as ferrous sulfate, one took the same dose as NaFeEDTA, and one took a placebo. Blood samples were taken before and after.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial lasted only two months, so it cannot show what happens with longer use.
- It focused on pregnant women who already had anemia, so the results may not apply to other people.
Who paid
- Authors work at
- Medical College of Qingdao University, China
The paper
- Title
- Moderate NaFeEDTA and ferrous sulfate supplementation can improve both hematologic status and oxidative stress in anemic pregnant women
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Han XX, Sun YY, Ma AG, et al (2011). Moderate NaFeEDTA and ferrous sulfate supplementation can improve both hematologic status and oxidative stress in anemic pregnant women. Asia Pacific journal of clinical nutrition.PubMed 22094835
Summary written 30 Sep 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error