Studies on the availability of iron in potatoes

Fairweather-Tait, S J ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1413-5569 (1983) Studies on the availability of iron in potatoes. British Journal of Nutrition, 50 (1). pp. 15-23. ISSN 0007-1145

Full text not available from this repository. (Request a copy)

Abstract

Iron availability in potatoes and ferrous sulphate was measured in rats in a 10 d balance study and from a single meal using 59Fe and 55Fe as extrinsic labels. Dried potato samples were incubated in gastric juice in vitro and the amount solubilized was compared with other foods. The relationship between ascorbic acid content of dried potato and Fe solubilization was examined in vitro. In the balance study, the rats absorbed (mean with SE) 15.2 (2.7)% Fe from the diet containing 660 g dried potato/kg and 32.1 (2.8)% Fe from the semi-synthetic diet containing FeSO4. Absorption was higher from the extrinsically-labelled single meal: 49.6 (1.1)% Fe from 59Fe-labelled potato and 62.4 (1.2)% Fe from 59FeSO4. The in vitro experiments showed a much greater solubilization of Fe from potato than from the other foods examined. There was a correlation between Fe solubilization and ascorbic acid content of potatoes (rS 0.76, P less than 0.01). It appears that potatoes contain Fe of moderate availability, possibly higher than most vegetables. They also provide ascorbic acid which may enhance Fe absorption from a meal if present in sufficient quantities. Thus potatoes may make a useful contribution towards the Fe nutriture of the UK population.

Item Type: Article
Uncontrolled Keywords: animals,ascorbic acid,ferrous compounds,intestinal absorption,iron,male,nutritive value,rats,rats, inbred strains,vegetables
Faculty \ School: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Norwich Medical School
UEA Research Groups: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Nutrition and Preventive Medicine
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Groups > Musculoskeletal Medicine
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences > Research Centres > Lifespan Health
Depositing User: Pure Connector
Date Deposited: 06 Aug 2014 10:42
Last Modified: 19 Oct 2023 01:20
URI: https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/49269
DOI: 10.1079/BJN19830067

Actions (login required)

View Item View Item