Consumption of a Double-Fortified Salt Affects Perceptual, Attentional, and Mnemonic Functioning in Women in a Randomized Controlled Trial in India

J Nutr. 2017 Dec;147(12):2297-2308. doi: 10.3945/jn.117.251587. Epub 2017 Oct 11.

Abstract

Background: Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia have been shown to have negative effects on aspects of perception, attention, and memory.Objective: The purpose of this investigation was to assess the extent to which increases in dietary iron consumption are related to improvements in behavioral measures of perceptual, attentional, and mnemonic function.Methods: Women were selected from a randomized, double-blind, controlled food-fortification trial involving ad libitum consumption of either a double-fortified salt (DFS) containing 47 mg potassium iodate/kg and 3.3 mg microencapsulated ferrous fumarate/g (1.1 mg elemental Fe/g) or a control iodized salt. Participants' blood iron status (primary outcomes) and cognitive functioning (secondary outcomes) were assessed at baseline and after 10 mo at endline. The study was performed on a tea plantation in the Darjeeling district of India. Participants (n = 126; 66% iron deficient and 49% anemic at baseline) were otherwise healthy women of reproductive age, 18-55 y.Results: Significant improvements were documented for iron status and for perceptual, attentional, and mnemonic function in the DFS group (percentage of variance accounted for: 16.5%) compared with the control group. In addition, the amount of change in perceptual and cognitive performance was significantly (P < 0.05) related to the amount of change in blood iron markers (mean percentage of variance accounted for: 16.0%) and baseline concentrations of blood iron markers (mean percentage of variance accounted for: 25.0%). Overall, there was evidence that the strongest effects of change in iron status were obtained for perceptual and low-level attentional function.Conclusion: DFS produced measurable and significant improvements in the perceptual, attentional, and mnemonic performance of Indian female tea pickers of reproductive age. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01032005.

Keywords: cognition; fortification; iron deficiency; memory; nutritional neuroscience; perception.

Publication types

  • Randomized Controlled Trial
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Attention / drug effects*
  • Dietary Supplements
  • Female
  • Ferrous Compounds / administration & dosage*
  • Food, Fortified
  • Humans
  • India
  • Iodates / administration & dosage*
  • Middle Aged
  • Perception / drug effects*
  • Potassium Compounds / administration & dosage*
  • Sodium Chloride / administration & dosage*
  • Sodium Chloride / chemistry*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Ferrous Compounds
  • Iodates
  • Potassium Compounds
  • Sodium Chloride
  • potassium iodate
  • ferrous fumarate

Associated data

  • ClinicalTrials.gov/NCT01032005