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Is There a Physiological Role of Vitamin C in Iron Absorption?
Author(s) -
HALLBERG LEIF,
BRUNE MATS,
ROSSANDERHULTHÉN LENA
Publication year - 1987
Publication title -
annals of the new york academy of sciences
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.712
H-Index - 248
eISSN - 1749-6632
pISSN - 0077-8923
DOI - 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1987.tb23771.x
Subject(s) - ascorbic acid , chemistry , absorption (acoustics) , vitamin c , vitamin , biochemistry , food science , endocrinology , medicine , biology , physics , acoustics
Nonheme iron usually constitutes more than 90% of the dietary iron. Its absorbability is a resultant of the balance between factors enhancing and inhibiting the absorption. Ascorbic acid is the most potent enhancer, and is the same for native and synthetic AA. The enhancing effect is strongly dose related (log dose/effect), and is different for different meals probably mainly due to varying content of inhibitors in the meals. AA also increases the iron absorption from simple meals with no known inhibitor, probably because AA impairs the formation of unavailable iron complexes with ligands normally present in the gastrointestinal lumen. The effect of AA is so unequivocal and marked that it must be considered as a physiological factor essential for the absorption of dietary iron.