Influence of dietary fat and zinc supplementation on the iron utilization in growing rats.
OBJECTIVE
There is increasing evidence that the amount and type of dietary fat may modify the utilization of the trace element iron. The present study investigated the effect of high amounts of fat of different origin at marginal and high dietary zinc supply on the iron utilization.


METHODS
Growing male rats, assigned to 1 of 6 groups of 8 animals each were fed diets that contained either 7 or 100 microg zinc/g. These diets were enriched with 0 or 22% fat as beef tallow (BT) or as sunflower oil (SO) above the basal level of 3% soybean oil. Iron was added as ferrous sulfate at 60 microg/g of diet.


RESULTS
The apparent iron absorption was markedly lower in the case of the high-fat diets at either zinc level. The BT diets resulted in significantly higher iron concentrations in the liver compared to both the SO and control diets. Hemoglobin and hematocrit were not influenced by any of the treatments.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the high-fat diets reduced iron absorption, there was no evidence for lower iron status parameters in blood and tissues. In contrast, BT as a source of saturated fatty acids markedly elevated liver iron concentrations.
Boesch-Saadatmandi
Christine
C
Institute of Human Nutrition and Food Science, University of Kiel, Kiel , Germany.
Most
Erika
E
Weigand
Edgar
E
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D001682:Biological Availability; D004041:Dietary Fats / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007408:Intestinal Absorption / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D019266:Iron, Dietary / Q000493:pharmacokinetics*; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015430:Weight Gain; D015032:Zinc / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004041:Dietary Fats; D019266:Iron, Dietary; D015032:Zinc