Iron absorption from a cereal based meal containing cane sugar fortified with ascorbic acid
1977
Derman, D. | Sayers, M. | Lynch, S.R.
Extract: The absorption of Fe added to maize meal porridge was measured in 116 volunteer multiparous Indian women. The meals were fed with and without tea or coffee and with and without varying amounts of ascorbic acid. The mean absorption of Fe from maize meal porridge was very low (3-8 percent), being even further reduced (2-1 percent) when tea was drunk with the meal. The addition of 50 or 100 mg ascorbic acid to maize meal porridge caused approximately a 10 fold increase in Fe absorption. The increase was much less when tea was present. The inhibitory effect of tea on Fe absorption could, however, be overcome by giving larger doses of ascorbic acid (250 and 500 mg.). It is concluded that ascorbic acid is capable of improving Fe absorption from a cereal source. It can partially overcome the inhibitory effect of tea and might be expected to facilitate the absorption of at least some forms of Fe that may contaminate food.
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