Biomaterial Database

Comparative absorption of ferrous and heme-iron with meals in normal and iron deficient subjects. 1993

M Ekman, and P Reizenstein

Hematology Laboratory, Karolinska Hospital and Institute, Stockholm, Sweden.

The relative intestinal absorption of heme- and non heme-iron in connection with a standardized test meal was studied in a group of fertile women given 16 mg Fe in the form of FeSO4 and 2 mg Fe in the form of hemoglobin. Both in normal subjects and in women with iron deficiency, the heme-iron was significantly better absorbed (16.13% +/- S.D. 8.0 vs 4.59 +/- 3.4, p < 0.01 and 22.03 +/- 8.9 vs 9.45 +/- 7.8, p < 0.05). For targeted prophylaxis of iron deficiency with small, side-effect-free doses, heme-iron is thus a valuable component which increases the absorption by about 40%. Heme-iron does not cause high concentrations in the intestinal lumen of free radical inducing, possibly harmful ferric iron.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007408	Intestinal Absorption	Uptake of substances through the lining of the INTESTINES.	Absorption, Intestinal
D007501	Iron	A metallic element with atomic symbol Fe, atomic number 26, and atomic weight 55.85. It is an essential constituent of HEMOGLOBINS; CYTOCHROMES; and IRON-BINDING PROTEINS. It plays a role in cellular redox reactions and in the transport of OXYGEN.	Iron-56,Iron 56
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D011897	Random Allocation	A process involving chance used in therapeutic trials or other research endeavor for allocating experimental subjects, human or animal, between treatment and control groups, or among treatment groups. It may also apply to experiments on inanimate objects.	Randomization,Allocation, Random
D005260	Female		Females
D005296	Ferrous Compounds	Inorganic or organic compounds that contain divalent iron.	Compounds, Ferrous
D006418	Heme	The color-furnishing portion of hemoglobin. It is found free in tissues and as the prosthetic group in many hemeproteins.	Ferroprotoporphyrin,Protoheme,Haem,Heme b,Protoheme IX
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000090463	Iron Deficiencies	Deficient amounts of iron in the body as a result of blood loss, diets deficient in iron, or an iron uptake or storage disorder.	Hypoferritinemia,Iron Deficiency,Latent Iron Deficiency,Sideropenia,Deficiencies, Iron,Deficiencies, Latent Iron,Deficiency, Iron,Deficiency, Latent Iron,Hypoferritinemias,Iron Deficiencies, Latent,Iron Deficiency, Latent,Latent Iron Deficiencies,Sideropenias
D000284	Administration, Oral	The giving of drugs, chemicals, or other substances by mouth.	Drug Administration, Oral,Administration, Oral Drug,Oral Administration,Oral Drug Administration,Administrations, Oral,Administrations, Oral Drug,Drug Administrations, Oral,Oral Administrations,Oral Drug Administrations