Iron-fortified milk can improve iron status in young women with low iron stores

A considerable proportion of the populations of developing and industrialised nations does not meet the recommended daily allowance for iron and are thus at risk of chronic iron-deficiency anaemia. In a placebo-controlled, double-blind study we investigated whether supplementation with iron-enriched milk can improve the iron status in young women with low iron stores. Sixty-two women aged 20-36 years with serum ferritin concentrations </= 22 μg/l were given 400 ml/d of commercial milk (reference milk; n = 30) or milk enriched with 1.75 mg/100 ml micro-compartmented iron and 10 mg/100 ml vitamin C (Fe-milk; n = 32) as part of their habitual diets for 8 weeks. The Fe-milk was found to increase ferritin concentrations from 13.3 ± 6.9 μg/l (mean ± SD) to 17.7 ± 11.8 μg/l after 8 weeks, whereas the reference milk resulted in a decline from 12.6 ± 6.8 μg/l to 10.6 ± 8.1 μg/l (p = 0.01). After 8 weeks haemoglobin was higher in women receiving Fe-milk (135.5 ± 1.0) than in women receiving reference milk (131.4 ± 1.5 g/l; p = 0.03). Conclusion: Milk enriched with micro-compartmented iron and vitamin C can increase depleted iron stores in reproductive age women

Utilização da tomografia computadorizada quantitativa como teste de resistência para avaliação de placas ósseas

Quantitative computed tomography was used to determine the radiodensity of bony plates. The CT scans provided information regarding radiodensity of bony plates and allowed to verify the uniformity of bone mineral density in their scope. The proposed methodology should be considered as another tool for determining the resistance of these biomaterials