The effect of high ascorbic acid supplementation on body iron stores

Journal Article · Sat Sep 01 04:00:00 EDT 1984 · Blood; (United States)

OSTI ID:6437632

Cook, J D; Watson, S S; Simpson, K M; Lipschitz, D A; Skikne, B S

The level of assimilation of dietary iron is believed to have an important influence on iron status. To examine the effect of enhancing the availability of dietary iron on iron balance, 17 adult volunteer subjects were given 2 g of ascorbic acid daily with meals for 16 weeks. Serum ferritin levels before and after the study averaged 46 and 43 micrograms/L, respectively, indicating a negligible effect on iron stores. When vitamin C supplementation was continued for an additional 20 months in five iron-replete and four iron-deficient subjects, serum ferritin determinations again failed to indicate any significant effect of the vitamin C on iron reserves. These findings were not explained by intestinal adaptation to the enhancing effect of the vitamin, because radioisotopic measurements of nonheme iron absorption showed no reduction in the enhancing effect of 1 g of ascorbic acid after four months of megadoses of vitamin C. It is concluded that altering the availability of nonheme dietary iron has little effect on iron status when the diet contains substantial amounts of meat.

• Research Organization: Department of Medicine, University of Kansas Medical Center, Kansas City
• OSTI ID: 6437632
• Journal Information: Blood; (United States), Journal Name: Blood; (United States) Vol. 64:3; ISSN BLOOA
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

560306* -- Chemicals Metabolism & Toxicology-- Man-- (-1987)
63 RADIATION, THERMAL, AND OTHER ENVIRON. POLLUTANT EFFECTS ON LIVING ORGS. AND BIOL. MAT.
ABSORPTION
ANIMALS
ASCORBIC ACID
BIOLOGICAL AVAILABILITY
DIET
ELEMENTS
INTESTINAL ABSORPTION
IRON
MAMMALS
MAN
METALS
NUTRIENTS
PRIMATES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
UPTAKE
VERTEBRATES
VITAMINS