THE EFFECT OF HIGH ASCORBIC-ACID SUPPLEMENTATION ON BODY IRON STORES

  • 1 January 1984
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 64  (3) , 721-726
Abstract
The level of assimilation of dietary Fe is believed to have an important influence on Fe status. To examine the effect of enhancing the availability of dietary Fe on Fe balance, 17 adult volunteer subjects were given 2 g of ascorbic acid daily with meals for 16 wk. Serum ferritin levels before and after the study averaged 46 and 43 .mu.g/l, respectively, indicating a negligible effect on Fe stores. When vitamin C supplementation was continued for an additional 20 mo. in 5 Fe-replete and 4 Fe-deficient subjects, serum ferritin determinations again failed to indicate any significant effect of the vitamin C on Fe reserves. These findings were not explained by intestinal adaptation to the enhancing effect of the vitamin, because radioisotopic measurements of nonheme Fe absorption showed no reduction in the enhancing effect of 1 g of ascorbic acid after 4 mo. of megadoses of vitamin C. Altering the availability of nonheme dietary Fe has little effect on Fe status when the diet contains substantial amounts of meat.

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