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Iron utilization as affected by iron supplementation and fortification
Abstract
Three studies were conducted to investigate the effects on dietary iron utilization of iron supplementation and fortification. In Study 1, Project A, adult human subjects were fed a laboratory-controlled diet plus a time-release sulfate supplement or a regular ferrous sulfate supplement. Urinary iron excretion was significantly higher during the period that regular iron supplement was used. Dietary treatments had no effect on serum iron, hematocrit, hemoglobin, total iron binding capacity levels and fecal iron excretion. In Study II, Project A "self selected" diets were fed with regular iron and time release iron supplements alone or with a fiber supplement during separate randomly arranged periods. Use of either iron supplements with the fiber supplement significantly increased total blood serum iron binding capacity and fecal iron excretion of the subjects, but had no effect on serum iron levels and urine iron excretion in comparison to values when the iron supplements alone were fed. Blood serum ferritin levels of subjects were significantly higher during iron supplementation alone periods than when the fiber supplement was also employed. In project B 50 male weanling mice were fed five types of breads (white, whole wheat, starch, enriched white and super enriched white). Hemoglobin, hematocrit, whole blood iron, liver iron and weight gain were significantly lower in the mice fed the starch bread. Fecal iron excretion was significantly higher in the mice fed whole wheat bread and urine iron excretion was significantly lower in mice fed the starch and unenriched breads. Iron absorption by mice from the whole wheat bread was significantly lower than from the super enriched and enriched breads. In Project C nutrient supplement use practices were compared among university students enrolled in dietetics, home economics other than dietetics and non home economics majors. Belief that diets were already adequate was cited as the reason for not using supplements by the majority of the dietetics majors while a greater diversity of reasons were given by respondents enrolled in the other majors.
Subject Area
Nutrition
Recommended Citation
Ricketts, Crystal Diane, "Iron utilization as affected by iron supplementation and fortification" (1988). ETD collection for University of Nebraska-Lincoln. AAI8818650.
https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/dissertations/AAI8818650