Nezam El-Tayebat Fact CheckA scientific assessment of the “نظام الطيبات” nutrition system
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False Certainty of evidence: moderate provisional C-SUP-09

There is no such thing as iron supplements: they are forbidden even for a pregnant woman with anaemia, because a diet that needs supplements is deficient.

Safety note: Untreated anaemia in pregnancy increases risks for mother and baby (e.g. fatigue, need for transfusion after bleeding at delivery). The medically accepted position is to diagnose and treat iron-deficiency anaemia, usually with oral iron. Pregnant women should not stop prescribed iron or folic acid on the basis of this claim.
Conclusion: False and potentially harmful: iron treatment for anaemia in pregnancy is evidence-based.
  1. Original statement
  2. Scientific assessment
  3. In plain language
  4. Studies on this claim
  5. Regional context
  6. What applies in my country?
  7. References

Original statement

رفضوا رفضوا تناول مكملات الحديد للحامل مع وجود انيميا ممنوع يا استاذه ممنوع مافيش حاجه اسمها مكملات حديد ما فيش حاجه اسمها مكملات النظام الغذائي اللي محتاج مكملات يبقى ناقص

verbatim according to source. Translation by the project; the Arabic wording is authoritative.

Translation

There is no such thing as iron supplements: they are forbidden even for a pregnant woman with anaemia, because a diet that needs supplements is deficient.

Origin

Source status
Video transcript (own words)
Attribution
Elawady (machine transcript)
Video
Dr Diaa Al Awady د ضياء العوضي is live! الموت المفاجيء (Open source)
Published
14 July 2025
Timestamp
0:00:06 (location in the original video’s automatic YouTube caption track; confirms where the words occur, not who speaks)
Attribution uncertainty
Machine transcript of a live stream; the first sentence appears to be read from a viewer's comment, followed by Elawady's reply ('forbidden, madam, forbidden'). The exact speaker attribution of each phrase is uncertain.
Claimed mechanism

The diet should provide everything; supplements signal a flawed diet.

Claimed health effect

Avoidance of iron supplements in pregnancy.

Population concerned

Pregnant women with anaemia.

Geographic restriction by Elawady

none found

Diverging source versions

ممنوع أي أدوية كيميائية: خافض الحرارة، المسكنات، الفيتامينات، المكملات الصناعية، أدوية الحموضة، الأسبرين ويجب استشارة طبيبك الخاص وتحت اشرافه

Source status
Third-party site (unofficial)
Attribution
Third-party site (unofficial by its own statement)
Origin
https://mytayibat.com/forbidden
Attribution uncertainty
Lowest attribution level; the site states it is unofficial.

Scientific assessment

False – The statement contradicts the robust evidence.

Certainty of evidence: moderate – Further research may still affect the assessment.

1. What was claimed?

No iron supplements, even for anaemic pregnant women.

2. What is demonstrably correct?

Diet quality matters, and iron supplements can cause gastrointestinal side effects; supplements are not needed by everyone.

3. What is wrong or exaggerated?

Refusing iron to a pregnant woman with anaemia contradicts standard care; trials show iron supplements reduce anaemia and iron deficiency in pregnancy. Iron needs rise sharply in pregnancy and often cannot be met by diet alone.

4. What remains unclear?

Effects of routine (non-indicated) iron on birth outcomes are less clear (Cochrane: low birthweight and preterm birth reductions not statistically significant).

5. Which studies support it?

None.

6. Which studies contradict it?

Peña-Rosas 2015 Cochrane (I-SUP-04).

7. What applies to Germany and Europe?

German maternity care routinely checks haemoglobin and treats iron deficiency.

8. What is known about Egypt?

Anaemia in pregnancy is a public-health issue in many countries including Egypt (no figures reviewed).

9. What practical conclusion is appropriate?

Pregnant women with anaemia should follow their obstetric care plan, which usually includes iron.

Assessment details

Rationale for certainty of evidence

Cochrane review of 44 trials (43,274 women): preventive daily iron reduced maternal anaemia at term by 70% (RR 0.30, low-quality evidence) and iron deficiency at term (RR 0.43); treatment of diagnosed iron-deficiency anaemia with iron is standard care. The third-party Tayebat food list (altayybat.com) excludes several iron- or folate-rich foods (legumes, spinach and leafy greens, eggs, all poultry), while red meat, lamb liver and wild sea fish are allowed in limited frequency; whether intake is adequate in pregnancy depends on the individual diet.

Source quality

Video statement; safety-critical.

Regional transferability

Applies everywhere; anaemia in pregnancy is common in many countries.

Individual exceptions

Women with iron overload (e.g. haemochromatosis) or certain haemoglobinopathies need individual assessment.

Regional scope of the claim
general (biological/medical)
Last reviewed
25 October 2026 provisional

In plain language

During pregnancy the body needs much more iron, and many women become anaemic. Studies show that iron tablets reduce anaemia in pregnancy. Telling an anaemic pregnant woman not to take iron can harm her and her baby.

Studies on this claim

Studies supporting the claim (0)

No studies in this group.

Studies contradicting or limiting the claim (1)

  • Iron in pregnancy (Cochrane)

    Peña-Rosas JP et al.. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 · PMID 26198451 · DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD004736.pub5
    Meta-analysisindependent cross-checkabstract only checked★ key study

    Daily iron reduced anaemia at term by 70%.

    Does the study support the specific claim? No · Methodological quality: high · Certainty of evidence: see overall assessment of the claim

    Original publication · Scientific details

    Study explained simply
    What did the researchers want to find out?

    Iron in pregnancy.

    How was the study done?

    Cochrane.

    How many people, animals or samples were studied?

    43,274 women.

    What was actually found?

    Less anaemia.

    How large was the observed effect?

    RR 0.30.

    What do the results mean in everyday life?

    Iron helps pregnant women.

    What are the study's limitations?

    Low-quality evidence.

    What does it say about Elawady's specific claim?

    Contradicts C-SUP-09.

    Do the results apply to Germany and Europe?

    Applicable.

    What can explicitly not be concluded from this study?

    Birth outcome benefits.

    Scientific details →

Studies with mixed or unclear results (0)

No studies in this group.

Regional context

Germany / EU

German maternity care routinely checks haemoglobin and treats iron deficiency.

Egypt

Anaemia in pregnancy is a public-health issue in many countries including Egypt (no figures reviewed).

What applies in my country?

General scientific assessment

False False and potentially harmful: iron treatment for anaemia in pregnancy is evidence-based.

This statement concerns biological or medical relationships. The scientific assessment above applies regardless of the country; country-specific food data do not change it.

References

  1. Daily oral iron supplementation during pregnancy.. Peña-Rosas JP et al.. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2015 · PMID 26198451 · DOI 10.1002/14651858.CD004736.pub5

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