Systematic Review of Iron Bioavailability from Sourdough Bread, 1970-2024

A systematic review of 8 human intervention studies published between January 1970 and December 2024, evaluating the effects of sourdough- or regular-bread fermentation and phytate reduction on iron bioavailability, absorption, and status. The review was conducted under the COST Action CA20218 PIMENTO and follows EFSA's scientific guidance for health claim applications. Results narratively present inconclusive findings, with acute studies showing increased bioavailability and long-term trials showing mixed effects.

Use Cases

• Evaluate the efficacy of bread fermentation on iron absorption based on the review of 8 human intervention studies.
• Analyze the relationship between phytate reduction and iron status based on reported changes in ferritin and total body iron.
• Compare acute postprandial effects versus long-term nutritional outcomes based on the described serum iron and haemoglobin results.
• Assess methodological quality for health claim applications based on the application of EFSA's scientific guidance framework.

Strengths

• Includes 8 identified human intervention studies, providing a focused evidence base.
• Follows EFSA's scientific guidance for health claim applications, suggesting a structured methodological approach.
• Covers studies from January 1970 to December 2024, offering a broad temporal scope.
• Provides specific quantitative results, such as serum iron increases (59 vs. 30 μg Fe/100 mL) and ferritin declines (32±7 to 27±6 μg/L).

Limitations

• The underlying data file is a 23.0 KB DOCX document, likely containing narrative text rather than structured data tables.
• Row count and column structure are unknown, limiting suitability assessment for quantitative analysis.
• The review concludes results were inconclusive, indicating limited definitive evidence from the included studies.

Provenance

Source

figshare

Collection Method

Systematic review of PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane Library.

Time Range

January 1970–December 2024

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-05 04:12:57.