A randomized trial found that iron-deficient women who took a reduced dose of oral iron every other day had similar improvements in iron status as those who took a standard daily dose. This alternate-day strategy also involved lower overall iron exposure.
Source: Human randomized trial, 66 iron-deficient women of reproductive age (18-50 years). People were assigned at random to take it or not: the strongest single kind of study for showing cause and effect.
What was found
Serum ferritin, a measure of iron status, increased significantly over four weeks in both the group taking iron daily and the group taking it every other day.
The improvements in iron status were comparable between the two groups.
The group taking iron every other day achieved these results with a lower total iron exposure over the study period.
How it was done
This was a randomized, parallel-group, active-controlled trial involving 66 iron-deficient women aged 18 to 50 years.
One group received 80 mg of oral iron daily for four weeks. The other group received 80 mg of oral iron every other day for four weeks.
What it does not show
The study was limited to 66 women and lasted only four weeks.
The findings apply to women of reproductive age (18-50 years) with iron deficiency.
Where this fits
This study suggests that for iron-deficient women of reproductive age, taking iron every other day might be as effective as daily dosing for improving iron status, while potentially reducing overall iron intake. This could be relevant for individuals who experience gastrointestinal side effects with daily iron supplementation. Readers can check if their current iron supplement dose and frequency align with the strategies studied.
Who was talking about it
- European journal of nutrition on journal (2026-10-25): The European journal of nutrition published a study finding that reduced-dose alternate-day oral iron supplementation improved iron status in women with iron deficiency comparably to standard daily supplementation. See the post
The source
This is news, reported from the source above. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you change any medicine or supplement.