Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-gtxcr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-18T15:08:17.880Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A comparison of iron absorption in adults and infants consuming identical infant formulas

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Richard F. Hurrell ,
Lena Davidsson ,
Manju Reddy ,
Peter Kastenmayer  and
James D. Cook
Richard F. Hurrell*
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich, PO Box 474, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
Lena Davidsson
Affiliation:
Laboratory for Human Nutrition, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zürich, PO Box 474, CH-8803 Rüschlikon, Switzerland
Manju Reddy
Affiliation:
Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
Peter Kastenmayer
Affiliation:
Nestlé Research Centre, PO Box 44, CH-1000 Lausanne 26, Switzerland
James D. Cook
Affiliation:
Kansas University Medical Center, Kansas City, KS 66103, USA
*
†Corresponding author:Dr Richard F. Hurrell, fax +41-1-724 01 83, email richard.hurrell@ilw.agri.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.

Fe absorption was estimated in adults and infants from the erythrocyte incorporation of Fe isotopes added to infant formula. Fe absorption was measured in adults using radioisotopes, and in infants with a stable-isotope technique. In adults, the geometric mean Fe absorption from a ready-to-feed soya formula with its native phytic acid content was 2·4%. This increased to 6·0% (P < 0·05) after almost complete dephytinization. In infants, mean Fe absorption values were 3·9 and 8·7% respectively from the same products (P <0·05). In adults, mean Fe absorption from a spray-dried soya formula containing 110mg ascorbic acid/I was 4·1%, increasing to 5·3% (P < 0·05) when ascorbic acid was doubled to 220 mg/l. In infants, mean Fe absorption values were 5·7 and 9·5% (P < 0·05) from the same products. Mean Fe absorption from a milk-based formula was 6·5% in adults compared with 6·7% in infants. All meals in the adult and infant studies were fed using an identical meal size of 217g. Increasing the meal size threefold in adults did not change fractional Fe absorption. Mean Fe absorption values for each meal were lower in adults than in infants, but the relative inhibitory effect of phytic acid and the enhancing effect of ascorbic acid were similar. We conclude that Fe absorption studies in adults can be used to assess the influence of enhancers and inhibitors of Fe absorption in infant formulas fed to infants. Further studies, however, are required to extend these findings to weaning foods and complete meals.

Keywords

IronFormula intakeInfantsPhytateAscorbic acid
Type
Human and Clinical Nutrition
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 79 , Issue 1 , January 1998 , pp. 31 - 36
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 1998

References

Ballot, D, Baynes, RD, Bothwell, TH, Gillooly, M, Macfarlane, BJ, McPhail, AP, Lyons, G, Derman, GP, Bezwoda, WR, Torrance, JD & Bothwell, JE (1987) The effects of fruit juices and fruits on the absorption of iron from a rice meal. British Journal of Nutrition 57, 331–343.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, E, Hopper, J Jr, Hodges, JL Jr, Bradley, B, Wennesland, R & Yamauchi, H (1962) Red cell, plasma, and blood volume in healthy women measured by radiochromium cell-labelling and hematocrit. Journal of Clinical Investigation 41, 2188–2190.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, JD, Dassenko, SA & Lynch, SR (1991) Assessment of the role of non-heme iron availability in iron balance. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 717–722.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Cook, JD, Layrisse, M & Finch, CA (1969) The measurement of iron absorption. Blood 33, 421–429.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, JD, Layrisse, M, Martinez-Torres, C, Monsen, E & Finch, CA (1972) Food iron absorption measured by an extrinsic tag. Journal of Clinical Investigation 51, 805–815.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, JD & Monsen, ER (1977) Vitamin C, the common cold, and iron absorption. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 30, 235–241.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dallman, PR, Siimes, MA & Stekel, A (1980) Iron deficiency in infancy and childhood. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 33, 86–118.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidsson, L, Galan, P, Kastenmayer, P, Cherouvrier, F, Juillerat, MA, Hercberg, S & Hurrell, RF (1994) Iron absorption in infants: the influence of phytic acid and ascorbic acid in formulas based on soya isolate. Pediatric Research 36, 816–822.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
DeMaeyer, E & Adiels-Tegman, M (1985) The prevalence of anaemia in the world. World Health Statistics Quarterly 38, 302–316.Google ScholarPubMed
Disler, PB, Lynch, SR, Charlton, RW, Torrance, JD, Bothwell, TH, Walker, RB & Mayet, F (1975) The effect of tea on iron absorption. Gut 16, 193–200.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Eakins, JD & Brown, DA (1966) An improved method for the simultaneous determination of iron-55 and iron-59 in blood by liquid scintillation counting. International Journal of Applied Radiation and Isotopes 17, 391–397.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Flowers, CA, Kuizon, M, Beard, JL, Skikne, BS, Covell, AM & Cook, JD (1986) A serum ferritin assay for prevalence studies of iron deficiency. American Journal of Hematology 23, 141–151.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fomon, SJ, Janghorbani, M, Ting, BTG, Ziegler, EE, Rogers, RR, Nelson, SE, Ostedgaard, LS & Edwards, BB (1988) Erythrocyte incorporation of ingested 58-iron by infants. Pediatric Research 24, 20–24.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Gillooly, M, Bothwell, TH, Torrance, JD, McPhail, AP, Derman, DP, Bezwoda, WR, Mills, W, Charlton, RW & Mayet, F (1983) The effects of organic acids, phytates and polyphenols on iron absorption from vegetables. British Journal of Nutrition 49, 331–342.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hallberg, L & Bjorn-Rasmussen, E (1972) Determination of iron absorption from the whole diet. A new two-pool model using two radio-iron isotopes given as haem and non-haem iron. Scandinavian Journal of Haematology 9, 193–197.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallberg, L, Brune, M, Erlandsson, M, Sandberg, AS & Rossander-Hulthen, L (1991) Calcium: effect of different amounts on non-heme and heme-iron absorption in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 112–119.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hallberg, L, Rossander, L & Skanberg, A-B (1987) Phytates and the inhibitory effect of bran on iron absorption in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 45, 988–996.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Harris, LJ, Mapson, LW & Wang, YL (1992) Vitamin methods. A simple potentiometric method for determining ascorbic acid, suitable for use with coloured extracts. Biochemical Journal 36, 183–195.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hosein, F, Marsaglia, G & Finch, CA (1967) Blood ferrokinetics in normal man. Journal of Clinical Investigation 46, 1–9.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hurrell, RF, Juillerat, MA, Reddy, MB, Lynch, SR, Dassenko, SA & Cook, JD (1992) Soya protein, phytate and iron absorption in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, 573–578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kastenmayer, P, Davidsson, L, Galan, P, Cherouvrier, F, Hercberg, S & Hurrell, RF (1994) A double stable isotope technique for measuring iron absorption in infants. British Journal of Nutrition 71, 411–424.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Layrisse, M, Martinez-Torres, C, Leets, I, Taylor, PG & Ramirez, J (1984) Effect of histidine, cysteine, glutathione or beef on iron absorption in humans. Journal of Nutrition 114, 217–223.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lozoff, B, Jiminez, E & Abraham, WW (1991) Long term development outcome of infants with iron deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine 325, 687–694.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lynch, SR, Dassenko, SA, Cook, JD, Juillerat, MA & Hurrell, RF (1994) Inhibitory effect of soybean-protein-related moiety on iron absorption in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 60, 567–572.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Makover, RU (1970) Extraction and determination of phytic acid in beans. Cereal Chemisty 47, 288–295.Google Scholar
Wennesland, R, Brown, E, Hopper, J, Hodges, JL, Guttentag, OE, Scott, KG, Tucker, IN & Bradley, B (1959) Red cell, plasma and blood volume in healthy men measured by radiochromium (Cr51) cell tagging and hematocrit: influence of age, somatotype and habits of physical activity on variance after regression of volumes to height and weight combined. Journal of Clinical Investigation 38, 1065–1077.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed