title: Iron and vitamin C co-supplementation increased serum vitamin C without adverse effect on zinc level in iron deficient female youth.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Iron supplementation can decrease the absorption of zinc and influence other antioxidants levels such as vitamin C. This study aimed to investigate the effect of iron supplements alone and in combination with vitamin C on zinc and vitamin C status in iron deficient female students.
  
  
  METHODS
  In a double-blind randomized clinical trail, 60 iron deficient students were selected from 289 volunteers residing in dormitory. After matching, subjects were randomly assigned into two groups: Group I (50 mg elemental iron supplements) and Group II (50 mg elemental iron + 500 mg ascorbic acid). Serum ferritin, iron, serum zinc, and plasma vitamin C concentrations were measured by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, spectrophotometer, atomic absorption spectrometer, and colorimeter, respectively after 6 and 12 weeks supplementation. Student's t-test and repeated measures analysis of variance were applied to analyze the data using SPSS software.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum zinc levels had no significant differences between 2 groups at the baseline; however, its concentration decreased from 80.9 ± 4.2-68.9 ± 2.7 μg/dl to 81.2 ± 4.5-66.1 ± 2.9 μg/dl (P < 0.001) in Groups I and II, respectively after 6 weeks of supplementation. Continuous supplementation increased serum zinc concentration to baseline levels (79.0 ± 2.9 μg/dl; P < 0.01) in Group I and 70.5 ± 3.1 μg/dl in Group II following 12 weeks of supplementation. Plasma vitamin C increased from 3 ± 0/1-3.3 ± 0.2 mg/dl to 2.7 ± 0. 1-4.2 ± 0.2 mg/dl (P < 0.01) in Groups I and II, respectively. At the end of study, plasma vitamin C significantly increased from 3.3 ± 0.3-4.7 ± 0.3 (P < 0.01) to 4.2 ± 0.2-7.1 ± 0.2 (P < 0.001) in Groups I and II, respectively.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Iron supplementation with and without vitamin C led to reduction in serum Zn in iron-deficient female students after 6 weeks. However, the decreasing trend stops after repletion of iron stores and Zn levels returned to the approximately baseline values after 12 weeks.
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Khoshfetrat
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, University of California, Riverside, USA.
authors.forename: Sima
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mortazavi
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Tirang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Neyestani
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Faculty of Health, Kerman University of Medical Science, Kerman, Iran.
authors.forename: Mohammad Reza
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Mahmoodi
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Nahid
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Zerafati-Shoae
authors.affiliation: Department of Food and Nutrition Policy and Planning Research, National Nutrition and Food Technology Research Institute, Faculty of Nutrition Sciences and Food Technology, Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.
authors.forename: Fatemeh
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mohammadi-Nasrabadi
keywords: Female; iron deficiency; iron supplementation; serum zinc; vitamin C