Reddy examines effects of soy products on iron status

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A recent grant from the Iowa Soybean Association will help an Iowa State professor study the impact of soy products on iron deficiency.

 

Manju Reddy, an associate professor in food science and human nutrition, will attempt to determine whether consuming soy foods increases a woman’s likelihood of developing iron deficiency anemia by reducing absorption of the essential mineral.

 

“Iron deficiency anemia is common among pregnant women, women of child-bearing age, infants, and children,” Reddy said. “It’s common during pregnancy because the fetus’s needs are very high.” Reddy’s study participants will consist of women ages 18 to 40. They will consume two daily servings of soy-based foods for 10 weeks.

 

Reddy immigrated to the United States from India, where iron deficiency anemia is very common. That was one of the reasons she became interested in studying iron absorption, which has important implications for women and children everywhere.

 

“Iron is involved in energy production,” she said. “When you have iron deficiency, you are not producing enough energy in the body.” According to Reddy, this deficiency can lead to impairments of growth and development, cognitive and immune functioning, and work capacity, causing individuals to feel tired and lethargic.

 

Previous studies on the effects of soy have produced mixed results, which Reddy believes is partly due to other researchers’ focus on postmenopausal women. Such women typically possess higher levels of body iron and thus absorb less of the mineral than the younger women Reddy is studying. In addition, previous studies’ participants consumed large doses of soy powders and shakes. Reddy is focusing on realistic quantities of commonly consumed soy foods, including soy chicken and tofu.

 

Based on these differences, Reddy does not expect the soy products to affect iron status. Still, she realizes the potential for other outcomes. “What if the study results are not what we are expecting? It’s a possibility,” she said.

 

Such unexpected results could still lead to important developments. “Soy companies might be able to overcome this [unanticipated outcome] by adding more iron to those products, so they can overcome that inhibition,” Reddy said. “They can certainly improve their products.”

 

Reddy also envisions suggesting future recommendations about soy consumption for those likely to have a child and even the general population. “We are trying to answer practical questions,” she said. “I think this study really addresses the issue.”