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Vitamins and Minerals (Oral Session 19)

(OR19-02-25) Effects of Consuming an Iron Supplement With a Meal Containing Animal or Plant-Based Meat on Indicators of Iron Status in Women of Reproductive Age With Iron Deficiency

Tuesday, June 3, 2025
8:42 AM – 8:56 AM ET
Location: S220 E-G
Objectives: Animal meat contains heme iron, which is more bioavailable and better absorbed than non-heme iron found in plants. Animal meat also contains a “meat factor” that stimulates absorption of non-heme iron. The objective of this study was to determine whether consuming an iron supplement, a source of non-heme iron, with a meal containing animal meat once a day for 8 weeks leads to improvements in iron status in women with iron deficiency compared to those consuming the same iron supplement with a meal containing plant-based meat.

Methods: In a randomized, double-blinded, parallel-arm study, non-pregnant women of reproductive age (n=52; 25 ± 7 y; BMI 22.4 ± 4.4 kg/m2) with low iron stores (serum ferritin < 25 µg/L) were randomized to consume an iron supplement containing 32 mg elemental iron (from ferrous sulfate) with a lunch meal containing either 4 oz. of 1) beef (Animal) or 2) Beyond Meat (Plant) once a day for 8 weeks. Meals were identical except for the addition of Animal or Plant. The primary outcomes were biochemical indicators of iron status and anemia. Data are presented as means ± standard deviation.

Results: Baseline indicators of iron status and anemia did not differ between groups. Daily consumption of an iron supplement with a lunch meal for 8 weeks improved serum ferritin (main time effect: +10.7 ± 9.6 µg/L, P< 0.0001), transferrin saturation (main time effect: +5.1 ± 18.7%, P=0.048), soluble transferrin receptor (main time effect: -0.6 ± 1.0 mg/L, P< 0.001), body iron stores (main time effect: +2.8 ± 3.1 mg/kg, P< 0.0001), and hemoglobin (main time effect: +0.5 ± 0.9 g/dL, P=0.0002) regardless of whether the meals contained Animal or Plant (treatment-by-time interaction: P >0.05 for all indicators).

Conclusions: Findings suggest that the “meat factor” does not contribute substantially to improvements in iron status in women with iron deficiency when consumed with an iron supplement for 8 weeks.

Funding Sources: This study was funded in part by the National Cattleman’s Beef Association (NCBA), a contractor to the Beef Checkoff.