Dietary Factors Moderate the Relation between Groundwater Iron and Anemia in Women and Children in Rural Bangladesh.

Heme-iron and vitamin C consumption reduced the effect of groundwater iron on anemia among women but not children in Bangladesh, which may be due to higher levels of iron deficiency and lower levels of iron intake among children. Vitamin C consumption appears to enhance iron absorption from groundwater in children and they may thus benefit from consuming more vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables. Even among women and children consuming heme-iron or vitamin C-rich foods and groundwater iron, anemia prevalence remained elevated, pointing to additional causes of anemia beyond iron deficiency.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT02505711.