TABLE 2.
Summary of the legume food–based iron intervention studies conducted in low- and middle-income countries1
| Reference | Study location | n | Design | Age, y | Sample characteristics | Intervention | Duration |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abizari et al., 2012 (23) | Northern Ghana | 241 children | Randomized, double-blind, controlled trial | 5–12 | Apparently healthy, not taking medication or supplemental iron; Hb >70 g/L | Test meals from cowpea flour (∼430 kcal) served with ∼30 g sauce (16 g groundnut oil, salt, fried onions, chilli, and 12 g false sesame seeds) | 7 mo |
| Cowpea flour was either: 1) fortified cowpea flour, 11.5 ± 2.5 mg Fe/100 g; or 2) nonfortified flour, 6.9 ± 1.3 mg Fe/100 g | |||||||
| Schümann et al., 2005 (24) | Guatemala | 110 children | Masked, stratified-randomized intervention trial | 1–3 | Initial Hb 100–115 g/L Excluded recent use of vitamin or mineral preparations containing Fe, recent surgery, diagnosed chronic gastric or intestinal diseases, chronic infections, supplementation during the study | Test meals were made from: 1) beans fortified with FeSO4 (22.4 mg Fe/100 g); 2) beans fortified with bovine blood (22.4 mg Fe/100 g); or 3) conventional beans (2.4 mg Fe/100 g) | 10 wk |
| Pachón et al., 2009 (25) | Colombia | Not described | Random assignment | 2–5 | Not specified | Test meals were made from: 1) improved beans and maize with iron content 73.7–77.7 mg/kg (mean zinc content = 28.7–33.2 mg/kg); 2) conventional beans and maize (iron and zinc 60.4 and 30.9 mg/kg, respectively); or 3) an iron supplement providing 10 mg iron | 6 mo |
| Petry et al., 2014 (9) | Rwanda | 25 WRA | Randomized crossover design | 18–30 | Apparently healthy, nonpregnant, nonlactating women with low iron status (PF <20 μg/L); 42–65 kg body weight; normal BMI (19–24 kg/m2); not taking vitamin and mineral supplements 2 wk before or during the study | Test meals from 55 ± 2 g beans (dry weight) served with either 50 g rice (raw weight) or 190 g Irish potatoes. Soy oil (1.6 g) and 0.6 g noniodized salt was added to each portionThe beans were either: 1) control cream-striped (carioca, pinto type) beans with native phytic acid concentration (980 mg/100 g) 50% and 95% dephytinized; or 2) biofortified cream-striped (carioca, pinto type) beans with native phytic acid concentration (1320 mg/100 g) ∼50% and ∼95% dephytinized | 12 wk |
| Petry et al., 2016 (26) | Rwanda | 25 WRA | Randomized crossover design | 18–30 | Apparently healthy, nonpregnant, nonlactating women with low iron status PF <25 μg/L; 44–63 kg body weight; normal BMI (17–24); not taking vitamin and mineral supplements 2 wk before or during the study | Composition of the test meals is described in S/N 4 The meals were made from: 1) low phytic acid line low in polyphenols (110 mg/100 g phytic acid concentration); 2) a high-iron biofortified bean (1208 mg/100 g phytic acid concentration); or 3) conventional bean (1005 mg/100 g phytic acid concentration) | |
| Haas et al., 2016 (27) | Rwanda | 195 WRA | Double-blind randomized efficacy trial | 18–27 | Apparently healthy, nonpregnant, nonlactating women with depleted iron stores (SF <20 μg/L)Excluded ages <18 or >27 y; BMI <16; Hb <90 g/L; SF >20 μg/L; any major medical conditions; use of Fe supplements; use of medication, pregnancy, lactation | 2 daily portions of test-meal beans, each 150–175 g cooked weight, made from: 1) biofortified carioca beans (CIAT SMC; 86.1 ppm Fe); or 2) conventional carioca beans (control; G4825; 50.1 ppm Fe)Standard starch and vegetable portions were used as accompaniments | 128 d |
| Murray-Kolb et al., 2017 (28) | Rwanda | 150 WRA | Double-blind randomized intervention study | 18–27 | As described in Haas et al., 2016 (27) | Composition of the test meals is described in S/N 6 | 128 d |
| Wenger et al., 2019 (29) | Rwanda | 55 WRA | Double-blind randomized efficacy trial | 18–27 | As described in Haas et al., 2016 (27) | Composition of the test meals is described in S/N 6 | 128 d |
| Finkelstein et al., 2019 (30) | Mexico | 574 children | Double-blind cluster-randomized controlled trial (at school level) | 5–12 | Children in schools with ≥15% prevalence of anemia | 2 daily portions of test-meal beans, each 100 g cooked weight, made from: 1) iron-biofortified beans, 9.5 mg/100g (Phaseolus vulgaris L. MIB465); or 2) P. vulgaris L. Jamapa variety, 5.5 mg/100 g | 6 mo |
1
CIAT, International Center for Tropical Agriculture; Hb, hemoglobin; PF, plasma ferritin; SF, serum ferritin; SMC, code used to identify a CIAT bean line [colored drought tolerant bean with high zinc and iron content (not red or black)]; WRA, women of reproductive age.