title: [Effect of altitude on iron absorption].
abstract: Iron bioavailability was evaluated in people living in high altitudes. Absorption was estimated from a reference dose of ferrous ascorbate and from a standard diet of wheat flour, using extrinsic tag radioisotope technique of 55Fe and 59Fe. Twenty four volunteers, healthy women, with ages ranging from 28 to 45 years, participated. Of those, eleven lived at 3450 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in Huancayo city-Peru (study group), and 13 lived in Santiago de Chile at 630 m.a.s.l. (control group). Iron absorption from reference dose of ferrous ascorbate was 32.0% and 31.1% in the study and control groups respectively. The geometric mean of iron absorption from the standard diet, corrected to 40% of absorption of reference dose, was 9.0% and 6.9% in the study and control groups respectively (NS). The results suggest that altitude does not produce a high iron absorption in highlander residents.
authors.affiliation: Instituto de Nutrición y Tecnología de los Alimentos, Universidad de Chile, Santiago de Chile.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pizarro
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zavaleta
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hertrampf
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Berlanga
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Camborda
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Olivares
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000531:Altitude; D001682:Biological Availability; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000502:physiology*; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008875:Middle Aged
chemical_list: D019266:Iron, Dietary