Effect of a single ingestion of alcohol on iron absorption

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Abstract
The effect of alcohol on inorganic and organic iron absorption was studied in 70 subjects, using a whole-body counter technique. The mean iron absorption of a test dose was 24.44%, while in the presence of whisky, absorption fell to 9.73% (P < 0.0001). Absorption of a test dose in the presence of whisky without alcohol was 10.14% (P < 0.0001). The alcohol in whisky, therefore, was not responsible for the diminshed iron absorption (P > 0.20). The absorption of the iron contained in wine with alcohol was 73.31 μg and wine without alcohol was 67.50 μg. The difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.20). The absorption of inorganic iron contained in a test meal was 165.55 μg and was not changed in the presence of ethanol (151.35 μg) (P > 0.10). However, the presence of ethanol affected the absorption of heme iron: 538.68 μg compared with 442.41 μg with ethanol (P < 0.0001). These studies show that the acute ingestion of ethanol does not influence the absorption of inorganic iron, while it does diminish the absorption of the organic form.