The present study was performed to measure the effect of increasing amounts of ascorbic acid on the absorption of 5 mg iron in a maize meal. 30 normal subjects were served two maize meals, one of them with ascorbic acid at different dose levels. At the dose level of 200 mg ascorbic acid there was a sixfold increase in iron absorption. Still at the dose level of 25 mg, the iron absorption was significantly increased. The results of the study thus indicates that supplementation with ascorbic acid might be an alternative to iron fortification to increas dietary iron absorption.