Absorption of iron from breakfast meals

Abstract

The absorption of nonheme iron from nine common Western type breakfasts was studied in 129 subjects using extrinsic labeling with radioiron. In one group the iron absorption from a continental type of breakfast served with coffee was standardized against the absorption from a reference dose of derrous ascorbate (3 mg Fe). In all subsequent experiments the absorption from this breakfast was compared with one of the other breakfast meals served on alternate days and each labeled with a different radioiron isotope. The bioavailability of iron in the different breakfast meals varied markedly. There was almost a 6-fold idfference in absorption (0.07 to 0.40 mg) despite of the fact that the iron content only varied from 2.8 to 4.2 mg. The most marked effect was seen with tea which reduced the absorption to less than half and with orange juice which increased the absorption two and a half times. The present findings must be considered when giving dietary advice to groups of subjects who are known to have a critical iron balance. The present results also imply that an evaluation of the iron nutrition in a population cannot only be based on the daily dietary intake of iron but must also include the bioavailability of iron in frequently consumed meals.

Haemoglobin status of adult non-pregnant Kazakh women living in Kzyl-Orda region, Kazakhstan

“…It has long been known that tea has a negative impact on the absorption of non-haem iron in the diet (Disler et al, 1975;Rossander et al, 1979;Hallberg & Rossander, 1982), and some studies have shown a negative correlation between tea consumption and haemoglobin (Merhav et al, 1985) or serum ferritin (Galan et al, 1985) concentrations. However, other studies have found the relationship to be ambiguous (Brussaard et al, 1997) or non-existent (Soustre et al, 1986;Galan et al, 1998;Root et al, 1999).…”

Iron deficiency in older people: Interactions between food and nutrient intakes with biochemical measures of iron; further analysis of the National Diet and Nutrition Survey of people aged 65 years and over

“…Fibre intake decreased with age (P`0.001, r 2 0.05) so the association found with iron status could also re¯ect the fact that the relatively healthy older people (with good teeth, etc) have better haematological status indices. Rossander et al (1979) reported that consumption of tea with breakfast reduced iron absorption to less than half. Ninety ®ve per cent of the NDNS participants drank tea and a little contrary to expectations, tea had a signi®cant negative association for men only, and only on two of the eight measures of iron status under consideration.…”

Association between composition of the diet and haemoglobin and ferritin levels in 18-month-old children

“…However, studies have not found a consistent relationship between iron intake and iron status, and it seems that a number of other factors in the diet are important, including enhancers (such as vitamin C and haem iron) and inhibitors (such as calcium and non-starch polysaccharides) of iron absorption (Hallberg, 1981;Hallberg et al, 1992). While there are a number of studies describing iron absorption from test meals of different compositions (Moore & Dubach, 1951;Martinez-Torres et al, 1974;Rossander et al, 1979;Oski & Landaw, 1980;Stekel et al, 1986;Davidsson et al, 2000), there is far less information on the relationship between the dietary intake of enhancers and inhibitors of iron absorption and iron status in free-living populations. As part of the Avon Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood (ALSPAC) we have collected data on haemoglobin and ferritin levels at 18 months along with detailed dietary information.…”