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ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #174984
Title: BIOAVAILABILITY OF IRON AND ZINC FROM A MULTI-NUTRIENT FORTIFIED BEVERAGE WITH AND WITHOUT A MEAL.

Author
item AVALOS, AM - BAYLOR COLLEGE / MEDICINE
item ZAVATELA, N - BAYLOR COLLEGE / MEDICINE
item Griffin, Ian
item HILMERS, DC - BAYLOR COLLEGE / MEDICINE
item HAWTHORNE, KM - BAYLOR COLLEGE / MEDICINE
item Abrams, Steven

Submitted to: Journal of the American College of Nutrition
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/1/2002
Publication Date: 12/1/2002
Citation: Avalos, A., Zavatela, N., Griffin, I., Hilmers, D., Hawthorne, K., Abrams, S.A. 2002. Bioavailability of iron and zinc from a multi-nutrient fortified beverage with and without a meal.. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. J Am Coll Nutr., 21:483, 2002.

Interpretive Summary: Not required for an abstract.

Technical Abstract: We have shown that 8-wks daily consumption of a multi-nutrient fortified beverage significantly improved nutritional status in Botswaran children. Bioavailability of the principal minerals from such a product is unknown. Therefore the purpose of this study was to measure iron and zinc bioavailability from a multi-nutrient fortified beverage consumed with and without additional food. Forty children, ages 6.0-9.9 yr, were recruited from a lower income peri-urban community in Lima, Perú. They received 240 mL daily for 28 d of a beverage containing 12 micronutrients, including 7 mg of iron and 3.75 mg of zinc. On days 15 and 16 they received a beverage labeled with 58Fe (as ferrous bisglycinate) and 70Zn (as zinc gluconate) with bread, butter, and milk, and a beverage labeled with 57Fe and 67Zn without a meal. Two mg of 68 Zn was infused IV on day 15. Zinc absorption was calculated from the fractional excretion of the oral and IV isotopes 72 hrs later. Iron absorption was calculates from the red blood cell incorporation of the iron isotopes on day 28. Blood was drawn for biochemical assessments on day 1 and 28. Consumption of the beverage lead to similar zinc absorption with and without a meal (24.5 ± 10.7% vs 22.8 ± 7.6%, p=0.21). Fractional iron absorption was adequate and slightly higher without the meal (9.8 ± 6.7% vs 11.6 ± 6.9%, p=0.04). The total iron absorption of 0.69 mg/d , meets most of the nutritional requirements of iron in this age group. We also identified significant increases in Hb (0.39g/dL, p=0.021), retinol (2.6 µg/dl, p=0.023), ß-carotene (277 µg/dL, p< 0.0001) and vitamin E (77 µg/dL, p=0.0001). Zinc and iron were well absorbed from the beverage. The meal did not affect zinc absorption, and minimally influenced that of iron. We conclude that a multi-nutrient fortified beverage should be considered as a part of supplementation programs in at-risk populations of children.