Assessment of the Efficacy of a Low-Dose Iron Supplement in Restoring Iron Levels to Normal Range among Healthy Premenopausal Women with Iron Deficiency without Anemia

(1) Background: Iron deficiency without anemia (IDWA) is a prevalent health concern in premenopausal women. Oral supplementation of iron may be a viable solution to improve blood-iron status in women; however, the effects of a high-dose iron-supplement regimen have been associated with gastrointestinal side effects. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a low-dose liquid fermented iron-bisglycinate supplement (LIS) on improving blood-iron status in premenopausal women with IDWA without increasing constipation or gastrointestinal distress. (2) Methods: 85 premenopausal women with IDWA (ferritin < 70 ng/dL and hemoglobin > 11.0 g/dL) took a LIS (27 mg) or a placebo (PLA) for 8 weeks. Blood draws were taken at Wk0 and Wk8 of the study to measure serum-iron markers. In addition, surveys of gastrointestinal distress were administered at Wk0, Wk4, and Wk8 while the profile of mood states (POMS) was surveyed at Wk0 and Wk8. (3) Results: Compared to the placebo, the LIS was able to increase serum ferritin (p = 0.03), total serum iron (p = 0.03), and mean corpuscular volume (p = 0.02), while exhibiting no significant interaction in subjective gastrointestinal distress (p > 0.05). No significant effects were detected for POMS (p > 0.05). (4) Conclusions: Supplementing with LIS appears to improve blood-iron status without causing significant gastrointestinal distress in premenopausal women with IDWA.