Ascorbic acid and iron nutrition
1980
Lynch, Sean R.
Although the daily physiological requirement for iron is small compared to amounts present in the diet, iron deficiency is common. Iron deficiency often results from poor availability in food, rather than inadequate dietary intake. Dietary intake is present in heme and nonheme forms. The bioavailability of nonheme iron is much smaller. Nonheme iron absorption depends on overall meal composition, since dietary components of the meal affect nonheme iron availability. Ascorbic acid promotes absorption by increasing nonheme iron solubility in the alkaline pH of the intestine. The ascorbic acid content of the diet may be easily modified. Thus, ascorbic acid rather than iron supplementation may be more effective in preventing iron deficiency in populations at risk whose diets consist mostly of nonheme iron sources such as cereals.
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