Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Grand Forks, North Dakota » Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center » Healthy Body Weight Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #79921
Title: A LACTO-0V0-VEGETARIAN DIET FOR 8 WEEKS DECREASED IRON ABSORPTION AND FECALFERRITIN EXCRETION, WITHOUT AFFECTING BLOOD INDICES OF IRON STATUS IN PREMENOPAUSAL WOMEN

Author
item Hunt, Janet
item ROUGHEAD, Z - UNIV OF NORTH DAKOTA

Submitted to: Meeting Abstract
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/16/1997
Publication Date: N/A
Citation: N/A

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Nonheme iron absorption, blood indices of Fe status, and fecal ferritin excretion were measured in women consuming a lacto-ovo-vegetarian (V)and nonvegetarian (N) diet under controlled feeding conditions. Twenty-one women, age 33 +/- 7 (20 to 42) y, with serum ferritin from 6 to 149 ug/L consumed both diets for 8 wk each in a cross-over design. The V and N diets sprovided, respectively, 12.6 and 13.6 mg total iron, 0 and 1.2 mg heme iron,(analyzed), 206 and 170 mg ascorbic acid, 40 and 16 g dietary fiber, and 1656 and 542 mg phytic acid (calculated) per 2300 kcal. Dietary nonheme iron absorption was determined in 10 women by extrinsic labeling and whole body scintillation counting. Ferritin excretion was measured by ELISA from a 14-d stool composite. Blood sampling at 7 and 8 wk was <30 mL per diet period. Absorption of nonheme iron (1.1 vs. 3.8%, p < 0.001, n = 10) was less from the V than from the N diet. Diet did not affect hemoglobin, transferrin saturation, erythrocyte protoporphyrin, or serum ferritin. Les than half as much fecal ferritin was excreted on the V as compared to the N diet (3.4 vs. 8.2 ug/d, respectively, p<0.01, n=21). Fecal ferritin excretion is an indicator of human intestinal mucosal ferritin, which has been postulated to reduce iron absorption by preventing serosal iron transfer. The results of this research indicate 1) a 70% decrease in non- heme iron absorption from a lacto-ovo-vegetarian iet, 2) an associated decrease in fecal ferritin excretion, suggesting partial physiological adaptation to increase the efficiency of iron absorption, and 3) an insensitivity of blood iron indices to substantial differences in dietary iron absorptin for 8 weeks.