Soy as a Source of Iron?

Soy as a Source of Iron?

UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa.--Soybeans may be abioavailable form of iron for iron-deficient women, according to a study in theJanuary issue of The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition (77, 1:180-4,2003) (www.ajcn.org). Researchers fromPennsylvania State University utilized a special variety of soy grown to containa radioactive isotope of iron, making the ferritin identifiable in red bloodcells, and baked the soy into muffins. Researchers gave 18 women with marginaliron deficiency either muffins or soup that contained the special soybeans. Themean iron absorption from either food was 27 percent during the four-week testperiod. Researchers concluded that soybeans appear to be a good source ofnutritional iron for marginally iron-deficient individuals, although more studyis needed on the form of iron in soybeans and its effects on enhancingbioavailability.