# Dietary iron requirements in a diverse group of US adults

> **NIH NIH R01** · LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR · 2024 · $636,890

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for iron were first established in 2001, drawing upon the best available
data at that time. However, the committee was limited by the scarcity of studies, with data dating back to the
1950s and involving a relatively small number of subjects from homogenous populations outside the US.
Consequently, the existing DRIs for iron may not accurately reflect the needs of the increasingly diverse US
population. This proposed supplemental study to the Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH) trial powered by the
All of Us Research Program will determine dietary iron requirements in a representative sample of US adults.
The proposed study will recruit a large number of participants (n=~300) enrolled in NPH and collect data used
to determine iron requirements. Specific Aim 1 will quantify iron losses and Specific Aim 2 will determine iron
bioavailability from 3 different mixed diets typically consumed in the US. Factors affecting iron loss and iron
bioavailability will be explored. Indicators of iron status will also be added to the NPH protocol. These data will
serve as a crucial resource for informing the necessary updates to the current DRIs for iron, ensuring they
accurately reflect the specific needs of the US population. This study would not be possible without the larger
parent study, as it relies on the infrastructure, resources, and diverse participants recruited for the NPH trial.
Data will be integrated with the All of Us database to facilitate future discoveries that may inform public health
recommendations and strategies for preventing iron-related health conditions.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10944224
- **Project number:** 1R01HD116587-01
- **Recipient organization:** LSU PENNINGTON BIOMEDICAL RESEARCH CTR
- **Principal Investigator:** Stephen R. Hennigar
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $636,890
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-08-06 → 2029-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10944224

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10944224, Dietary iron requirements in a diverse group of US adults (1R01HD116587-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-06-13 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10944224. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NIH grants dataset](/datasets/nih-grants) · CC0 1.0*