Acacia honey consumption increases hemoglobin level of pregnant women with anemia

¹ Center for Biotechnology Studies, Universitas Nasional, Jl. Sawo Manila No 61, Pasar Minggu, Jakarta Selatan, Indonesia 12520
² Department of Biology, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia
³ Department of Midwifery, Universitas Nasional, Jakarta, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: retno.widowati@civitas.unas.ac.id

Abstract

Untreated anemia in pregnant women potentially lead to complications of pregnancy and childbirth. Iron deficiency is one of the main causes of anemia. Honey has low pH, so it is expected to increase absorption of iron from Fe tablets consumed by pregnant women. The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of acacia honey consumption in increasing hemoglobin levels of pregnant women with anemia. Acacia honey was produced from the nectar of Acacia crassicarpa. The study was a quasi-experiment with pre-post with control group design. The study was preceded by ethical testing and informed consent. The respondents were 30 pregnant women who did antenatal care and checked their pregnancy at Marinir Cilandak Hospital, South Jakarta. Respondents who had hemoglobin levels below 11 g/dL were included in this study. Respondents were further divided into two groups of 15 each. The treatment group consumed one Fe tablet and acasia honey 2×10 mL daily, while the control group consumed one Fe tablet daily. The study was conducted for 14 days. The independent t-test showed the hemoglobin levels increased significantly (p=0.031) in the group that consumed honey compared to the control group. Hemoglobin levels in pregnant women who consumed acacia honey and Fe tablets were higher than consumed Fe tablets only.