Lee Swanson Research Update

Weekly Iron Supplement Beneficial for Increasing IQ

December 2004

Weekly supplementation with iron can boost the IQ (intelligence quotient) of children, according to a study undertaken at Prince of Songkla University in Songkla, Thailand. Just as interesting was the discovery that daily iron supplementation was less effective than weekly supplementation.

In the study, published in the September issue of the Journal of Nutrition, researchers investigated the effects of weekly and daily iron supplementation on changes in results of IQ, Thai language and mathematics tests among 397 Thai primary schoolchildren.

The double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial randomly assigned the children to receive iron supplements daily or weekly or placebo. Ferrous sulfate (300 mg) or placebo tablets were given under direct observation by the researcher for 16 weeks.

The increases in hemoglobin concentration were comparable in the weekly and daily iron supplementation groups, but serum ferritin increased more in the children supplemented daily. Children receiving daily iron supplements, however, had a significantly lower increase in IQ than those receiving the supplement weekly or placebo. Scientists concluded that weekly iron supplementation is the "regimen of choice" for improving IQ in children.

Journal of Nutrition 134:2349-2354, 2004

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