Assessment of the Bioavailability of Iron in Iron Fortified Bouillon Cubes in Healthy Nigerian Women

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy female Nigerian subjects;
• Age > 18 and <40 years at screening;
• Body weight <65 kg;
• Apparently healthy: no medical conditions which might affect study measurements (judged by study physician);
• With iron deficiency judged by a serum ferritin concentration of <15µg/L;
• Reported intense sporting activities ≤ 10h/w;
• Reported alcohol consumption ≤ 14 units/w;
• Willing and able to participate in the study;
• Having given a written informed consent.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Being an employee of Unilever or the Department of Family, Nutrition and Consumer Science of the Obafemi Alowolo University;
• Blood donation or significant blood loss over the past 6 months;
• Being severely anemic (hemoglobin < 8.0 g/dL)
• Reported use of any medically- or self-prescribed diet;
• Use of vitamin or mineral supplements and unwillingness to discontinue their use one week prior the study and during the study;
• Smoking or consuming tobacco in any form, and/or was smoking or consuming tobacco in any form for 6 months preceding the study and/or will be smoking or consuming tobacco in any form, during the study;
• Is pregnant or will be planning pregnancy during the study period;
• Is lactating or has been lactating in the 6 weeks before pre-study investigation and/or during the study period;
• Known gastrointestinal (including helminth infection) or metabolic disorders;
• Participation in another clinical trial during the last 30 days prior to the beginning of the study;
• Symptomatic malaria (no blood smear analyses on malaria required)