Effects of Enhancers and Inhibitors on Absorption From Iron Supplements

Summary

Iron deficiency (ID) is a major public health problem worldwide and oral iron supplementation can be an effective strategy to treat and prevent ID. To maximize iron bioavailability form oral iron supplements the simultaneous intake of the iron absorption enhancer ascorbic acid (AA) is recommended, and the simultaneous intake of coffee or tea containing the iron absorption inhibitors polyphenols should be avoided. Also, oral iron supplements are recommended to be taken on an empty stomach in the morning and without a meal to avoid any interaction with phytic acid, another iron absorption inhibitor present in many foods. However, the effects of these iron absorption enhancers and inhibitors have only been shown on iron absorption from dietary iron (up to 10mg). Also, the effect of the diurnal hepcidin increase on absorption from an iron supplement given in the afternoon without a preceding morning dose is unclear. Whether AA also increases iron bioavailability from a supplemental iron dose and whether a cup of coffee, a breakfast or iron administration in the afternoon decreases iron bioavailability from a supplemental dose is uncertain.

Conditions

• Iron-deficiency
• Iron Deficiency Anemia

Interventions

OTHER

Reference

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 54Fe isotopes

OTHER

Ascorbic acid (AA) 500 mg

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 57Fe isotopes + 500 mg AA

OTHER

Ascorbic acid (AA) 80 mg

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 58Fe + 80 mg AA

OTHER

Coffee

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 54Fe isotopes + 150 mL coffee

OTHER

Breakfast

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 57Fe isotopes + 1 bread roll (\~100 g) with butter and honey + 1 cup of plain yoghurt (180 mL) + 1 cup of coffee (150 mL) + 1 glass of orange juice (250 mL)

OTHER

Afternoon

Ferrum Hausmann 100 mg + 200 mL nanopure water with 3 mg 58Fe isotopes administered in the afternoon

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Swiss Federal Institute of Technology

  lead OTHER

Principal Investigators

• Nicole Stoffel, Dr. · Human Nutrition Laboratory, ETH Zuerich

Study Design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Model

CROSSOVER

Eligibility

Min Age

18 Years

Max Age

45 Years

Sex

FEMALE

Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Timeline & Regulatory

Start

2022-06-20

Primary Completion

2022-12-09

Completion

2022-12-09

Countries

• Switzerland

Study Locations