Iron absorption from typical West African meals containing contaminating Fe.
Iron absorption from three typical West African meals was measured in fourteen subjects using the extrinsic-tag technique with 59Fe and 55Fe. All meals consisted of maize as the staple food. Meals were prepared in Benin under realistic conditions from locally grown foods. Of the non-haem-Fe in the meals 39-73% did not exchange with the added inorganic radio-Fe tracer, depending on the degree of Fe contamination of meals. Non-haem-Fe absorption was low in each maize meal, but was even lower for those eaten with a vegetable sauce than for those eaten with a fish sauce. When haem-Fe absorption was included, 70.0-160 micrograms Fe was absorbed. Expressed on an energy basis, the bioavailable nutrient density was 3.2-7.0 micrograms/100 kJ (13.4-29.5 micrograms/100 kcal). These findings suggest that total Fe available in the typical diets of West African countries does not meet the physiological requirements of large proportions of the population.
Galan
P
P
Centre de Recherche sur les Anémies Nutrionnelles, Institut Scientifique et Technique de l'Alimentation, Paris, France.
Cherouvrier
F
F
Zohoun
I
I
Zohoun
T
T
Chauliac
M
M
Hercberg
S
S
D000328:Adult; D001541:Benin; D005504:Food Analysis; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption; D007501:Iron / Q000378:metabolism*; D000090463:Iron Deficiencies; D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D008297:Male
D007504:Iron Radioisotopes; D007501:Iron