Iron deficiency anemia is a common problem among school students. Educating people about their diet is the best and cheapest way to prevent this problem. This study explored whether eating dates could help prevent iron deficiency anemia in primary schoolgirls.

The researchers selected 31 girls with iron deficiency anemia and gave them dates to eat for two months. They measured their hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin levels before and after the intervention and analyzed the data using statistical tests.

Students consumed seven dates (approximately 100 g) for 2 months under the researcher’s supervision. Dates are a source of non-heme iron.

The results showed that eating dates increased the girls’ hemoglobin, hematocrit, and ferritin levels, important for preventing iron deficiency anemia. Therefore, it is recommended that dates be given to school girls to help prevent iron deficiency.

Reference:

2019; 10: 183–188. Published online 2019 Dec 19. doi: 10.2147/PHMT.S225816 PMCID: PMC6927593 PMID: 31908568

The Effect of a Date Consumption-Based Nutritional Program on Iron Deficiency Anemia in Primary School Girls Aged 8 to 10 Years Old in Zahedan (Iran)