Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-jr42d Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-23T14:49:27.142Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Iron absorption from ferrous fumarate in adult women is influenced by ascorbic acid but not by Na2EDTA

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Meredith C. Fidler ,
Lena Davidsson ,
Christophe Zeder ,
Thomas Walczyk  and
Richard F. Hurrell
Meredith C. Fidler
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, PO Box 474/Seestrasse 72, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland
Lena Davidsson*
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, PO Box 474/Seestrasse 72, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland
Christophe Zeder
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, PO Box 474/Seestrasse 72, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland
Thomas Walczyk
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, PO Box 474/Seestrasse 72, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland
Richard F. Hurrell
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Institute of Food Science and Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH) Zurich, PO Box 474/Seestrasse 72, 8803 Rueschlikon, Switzerland
*
*Corresponding author: Dr Lena Davidsson, fax +41 1 704 57 10, email lena.davidsson@ilw.agrl.ethz.ch
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Ascorbic acid and Na2EDTA enhance Fe absorption from the water-soluble Fe compound FeSO4 but their effect on poorly water-soluble Fe compounds such as ferrous fumarate is less well established. In the present study, the effects of ascorbic acid and Na2EDTA on Fe absorption from ferrous fumarate were evaluated in adult women (ten women/study) from the erythrocyte incorporation of Fe stable isotopes (57Fe or 58Fe) 14 d after administration. Two separate studies were made with test meals of Fe-fortified infant cereal (5 mg Fe/meal). Data were evaluated by paired t tests and the results are presented as geometric means. In study 1a, the comparison between Fe absorption from ferrous fumarate- and FeSO4-fortified cereal showed that adult women absorb Fe as well from ferrous fumarate as from FeSO4 (3·0 and 3·1 % respectively, P=0·85). After addition of Na2EDTA (Na2EDTA:fortification Fe molar ratio of 1:1), Fe absorption from FeSO4 was significantly higher than from ferrous fumarate (5·3 v. 3·3 % respectively, P<0·01; study 1b). In study 2, Fe absorption was compared from ferrous fumarate-fortified meals with and without ascorbic acid added at a 4:1 molar ratio (relative to fortification Fe) and the results showed that ascorbic acid increased Fe absorption from ferrous fumarate significantly (6·3 v. 10·4 %, P=0·02). The results of the present studies show that Fe absorption from ferrous fumarate is enhanced by ascorbic acid but not by Na2EDTA, thus emphasising that not all findings from Fe absorption studies made with FeSO4 can be extrapolated to Fe compounds with different solubility properties.

Keywords

Iron fortificationFerrous fumarateAscorbic acidNa2EDTA
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 90 , Issue 6 , December 2003 , pp. 1081 - 1085
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2003

References

Björn-Rasmussen, E & Hallberg, L (1974) Iron absorption from maize. Effect of ascorbic acid on iron absorption from maize supplemented with ferrous sulphate. Nutr Metab 16, 94–100.10.1159/000175477CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, E, Hopper, J Jr, Hodges, J Jr, Bradley, B, Wennesland, R & Yamauchi, H (1962) Red cell, plasma and blood volume in healthy women measured by radiochromium cell-labelling and hematocrit. J Clin Invest 41, 2182–2190.10.1172/JCI104677CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Conrad, ME & Schade, SG (1968) Ascorbic acid chelates in iron absorption: a role for hydrochloric acid and bile. Gastroenterology 55, 35–45.10.1016/S0016-5085(19)34096-XCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, JD, Reddy, MB, Burri, J, Juillerat, MA & Hurrell, RF (1997) The influence of different cereal grains on iron absorption from infant cereal foods. Am J Clin Nutr 65, 964–969.10.1093/ajcn/65.4.964CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidsson, L, Dimitriou, T, Boy, E, Walczyk, T & Hurrell, RF (2002) Iron bioavailability from iron-fortified Guatemalan meals based on corn tortillas and black bean paste. Am J Clin Nutr 75, 535–539.10.1093/ajcn/75.3.535CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidsson, L, Kastenmayer, P, Szajewska, H, Hurrell, RF & Barclay, D (2000) Iron bioavailability in infants from an infant cereal fortified with ferric pyrophosphate or ferrous fumarate. Am J Clin Nutr 71, 1597–1602.10.1093/ajcn/71.6.1597CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidsson, L, Walczyk, T, Zavaleta, N & Hurrell, R (2001) Improving iron absorption from a Peruvian school breakfast meal by adding ascorbic acid or Na 2 EDTA. Am J Clin Nutr 73, 283–287.10.1093/ajcn/73.2.283CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
el Guindi, M, Lynch, SR & Cook, JD (1988) Iron absorption from fortified flat breads. Br J Nutr 59, 205–213.10.1079/BJN19880027CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fairweather-Tait, SJ, Wortley, GM, Teucher, B & Dainty, J (2001) Iron absorption from a breakfast cereal: effects of EDTA compounds and ascorbic acid. Int J Vitam Nutr Res 71, 117–122.10.1024/0300-9831.71.2.117CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Forbes, AL, Adams, CE, Arnaud, MJ,et al. (1989) Comparison of in vitro, animal, and clinical determinations of iron bioavailability: International Nutritional Anemia Consultative Group Task Force report on iron bioavailability. Am J Clin Nutr 49, 225–238.10.1093/ajcn/49.2.225CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia-Casal, MN & Layrisse, M (2002) Iron fortification of flours in Venezuela. Nutr Rev 60, S26–S29.10.1301/002966402320285173CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillooly, M, Torrance, JD, Bothwell, TH,et al. (1984) The relative effect of ascorbic acid on iron absorption from soy-based and milk-based infant formulas. Am J Clin Nutr 40, 522–527.10.1093/ajcn/40.3.522CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hosain, F, Marsaglia, G & Finch, CA (1967) Blood ferrokinetics in normal man. J Clin Invest 46, 1–9.10.1172/JCI105501CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurrell, RF (1999) Iron. The Mineral Fortification of Foods, pp.54–93 [Hurrell, R, editor]. Leatherhead, Surrey, UK: Leatherhead Publishing.Google Scholar
Hurrell, RF, Furniss, DE, Burri, J, Whittaker, P, Lynch, SR & Cook, JD (1989) Iron fortification of infant cereals: a proposal for the use of ferrous fumarate or ferrous succinate. Am J Clin Nutr 49, 1274–1282.10.1093/ajcn/49.6.1274CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurrell, RF, Reddy, MB, Burri, J & Cook, JD (2000) An evaluation of EDTA compounds for iron fortification of cereal-based foods. Br J Nutr 84, 903–910.10.1017/S0007114500002531CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hurrell, RF, Reddy, MB, Dassenko, SA & Cook, JD (1991) Ferrous fumarate fortification of a chocolate drink powder. Br J Nutr 65, 271–283.10.1079/BJN19910086CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kastenmayer, P, Davidsson, L, Galan, P, Cherouvrier, F, Hercberg, S & Hurrell, RF (1994) A double stable isotope technique for measuring iron absorption in infants. Br J Nutr 71, 411–424.10.1079/BJN19940148CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
MacPhail, AP, Patel, RC, Bothwell, TH & Lamparelli, RD (1994) EDTA and the absorption of iron from food. Am J Clin Nutr 59, 644–648.10.1093/ajcn/59.3.644CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Makower, RU (1970) Extraction and determination of phytic acid in beans ( Phaeolus vulgaris ). Cereal Chem 47, 288–295.Google Scholar
Sayers, MH, Lynch, SR, Charlton, RW, Bothwell, TH, Walker, RB & Mayet, F (1974) Iron absorption from rice meals cooked with fortified salt containing ferrous sulphate and ascorbic acid. Br J Nutr 31, 367–375.10.1079/BJN19740045CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sayers, MH, Lynch, SR, Jacobs, P,et al. (1973) The effects of ascorbic acid supplementation on the absorption of iron in maize, wheat and soya. Br J Haematol 24, 209–218.10.1111/j.1365-2141.1973.tb05741.xCrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Walczyk, T (1997) Iron isotope ratio measurements by negative thermal ionization mass spectrometry Int J Mass Spectrom Ion Proc 161, 217–227.10.1016/S0168-1176(96)04532-6CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Walczyk, T, Davidsson, L, Zavaleta, N & Hurrell, RF (1997) Stable isotope labels as a tool to determine iron absorption by Peruvian school children from a breakfast meal. Fresenius J Anal Chem 359, 445–449.10.1007/s002160050608CrossRefGoogle Scholar