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ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #100917
Title: IRON ABSORPTION FROM FOOD ADAPTS TO IRON SUPPLEMENTATION

Author
item Roughead, Zamzam
item Hunt, Janet

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 4/21/1999
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In a randomized, placebo-controlled supplementation trial, adaptation in iron (Fe) absorption and changes in serum ferritin were evaluated in healthy men and women (n=57; age, 22 to 58 y; serum ferritin, 10 to 230 ug/L) before and after daily supplementation with 50 mg Fe (as ferrous sulfate) or placebo for 12 wk. Serum ferritin concentrations were monitored an additional 24 wk after supplementation was stopped. Heme and nonheme Fe absorption from a test meal were measured with Fe-59 (as FeCl3) and Fe-55 (as rabbit hemoglobin) radiotracers by using whole body scintillation counting and the ratio of Fe-55/Fe59 in blood after two wk. The meal (ground beef, french fries, and milk shake) contained 5.1 mg total Fe and 1.2 mg heme Fe and was consumed on two consecutive days before and after 12 wk of supplementation. Daily Fe supplementation for 12 wk resulted in a significant decrease of about 36% in nonheme Fe absorption (p<0.001). A slight reduction in heme Fe absorption with time was not related to Fe supplementation. There was a small, but significant, increase in serum ferritin after 12 wk of Fe supplementation. The increase in serum ferritin at wk 36,6 months after supplementation stopped, was so slight as to be detectable only as % change from baseline compared with the placebo group. This change in serum ferritin was positive and higher at all times tested in the Fe supplemented, compared to the placebo group in which serum ferritin declined probably because of phlebotomy. In conclusion, with daily Fe supplementation, healthy individuals adapted to decrease their efficiency of nonheme, but not heme, Fe absorption from food. This adaptation was accompanied by a small increase in Fe stores, as indicated by serum ferritin. Partial support -Natl Cattlemen's Beef Assoc.