Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-23T17:16:13.841Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Micronutrient interactions: effects on absorption and bioavailability

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 March 2007

Brittmarie Sandström
Brittmarie Sandström*
Affiliation:
Research Department of Human Nutrition, The Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University, Rolighedsvej 30, 1958 Frederiksberg C, Denmark
*
Corresponding author: Dr Brittmarie Sandström, fax +45 35 28 24 83, email [email protected]
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

A potential risk of interactions between micronutrients affecting absorption and bioavailability has to be considered in any supplementation or fortification strategy. At levels of essential micronutrients present in foods, most micronutrients appear to utilise specific absorptive mechanisms and not be vulnerable to interactions. In aqueous solutions and at higher intake levels competition between elements with similar chemical characteristics and uptake by non-regulated processes can take place. These interactions have clearly been demonstrated in experimental absorption studies and to some extent have been confirmed in supplementation studies. Negative effects of iron supplementation on indices of zinc and copper status and of zinc supplementation on iron and copper status have been reported. In contrast, the negative effect of calcium on iron absorption has not been confirmed in long-term supplementation studies. Ascorbic acid has a strong iron absorption promoting potential and in iron deficient populations ascorbic acid supplementation improves iron status. Thus, ascorbic acid supplements or an increased intake of ascorbic acid rich foods could have important public health implications, especially in populations subsisting on a mainly plant food based diet. The effect of poor status of a given micronutrient on absorption and utilisation of other micronutrients should also be considered while developing strategies to improve micronutrient status in a population. Awareness of these interactions, combined with a balanced evaluation of the dietary intake of the population with regard to absorption promoting and inhibiting substances and the risk for multiple deficiencies, could lead to more effective strategies to improve micronutrient status.

Keywords

IronZincCopperAscorbic acidInteractions
Type
Research Article
Information
British Journal of Nutrition , Volume 85 , Issue S2 , May 2001 , pp. S181 - S185
Copyright
Copyright © The Nutrition Society 2001

References

Breskin, MW, Worthington-Roberts, BS, Knopp, RH, Brown, Z, Plovie, B, Karle, Mottet N & Mills, JL (1983) First trimester serum zinc concentrations in human pregnancy. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 38, 943–953.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Broun, ER, Greist, A, Tricot, G & Hoffman, R (1990) Excessive zinc ingestion. Journal of the American Medical Association 264, 1441–1443.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cook, JD, Watson, SS, Simpson, KM, Lipschitz, DA & Skikne, BS (1984) The effect of high ascorbic acid supplementation on body iron stores. Blood 64, 721–726.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Davidsson, L, Almgren, A, Sandström, B & Hurrell, RF (1995) Zinc absorption in adult humans: the effect of iron fortification. British Journal of Nutrition 74, 417–425.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dawson, EB, Albers, J & McGanity, WJ (1989) Serum zinc changes due to iron supplementation in teenage pregnancy. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 50, 848–852.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fairweather-Tait, SJ, Powers, HJ, Minski, MJ, Whitehead, J & Downes, R (1992) Riboflavin deficiency and iron absorption in adult Gambian men. Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism 36, 34–40.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Finley, EB & Cerklewski, FL (1983) Influence of ascorbic acid supplementation on copper status in young adult men. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 553–556.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Fischer, PWF, Giroux, A & L'Abbé, MR (1984) Effect of zinc supplementation on copper status in adult man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 40, 743–746.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Garcia-Casal, MN, Larysse, M, Solano, L, Baron, MA, Arguello, F, Llovera, D, Ramirez, J, Leets, I & Tropper, E (1998) Vitamin A and beta-carotene can improve nonheme iron absorption from rice, wheat and corn by humans. Journal of Nutrition 128, 646–650.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hallberg, L, Brune, M & Rossander, L (1986) Effect of ascorbic acid on iron absorption from different types of meal. Studies with ascorbic-acid-rich foods and synthetic ascorbic acid given in different amounts with different meals. Human Nutrition: Clinical Nutrition 40, 97–113.Google ScholarPubMed
Hallberg, L, Brune, M, Erlandsson, M, Sandberg, A-S & Rossander-Hultén, L (1991) Calcium: effect of different amounts on nonheme- and heme-iron absorption in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 53, 112–119.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hallberg, L, Rossander-Hultén, L, Brune, M & Gleerup, A (1993) Inhibition of haem-iron absorption in man by calcium. British Journal of Nutrition 69, 533–540.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hambidge, KM, Krebs, NF, Jacobs, MA, Favier, A, Guyette, L & Ikle, DN (1983) Zinc nutritional status during pregnancy: a longitudinal study. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 37, 429–442.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hambidge, KM, Krebs, NF, Sibley, L & English, J (1987) Acute effects of iron therapy on zinc status during pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynaecology 70, 593–596.Google Scholar
Hoogenraad, TU, Dekker, AW & Van Den Hamer, CJA (1985) Copper responsive anemia, induced by oral zinc therapy in a patient with acrodermatitis enteropathica. The Science of the Total Environment 42, 37–43.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Ilich-Ernst, JZ, McKenna, AA, Badenhop, NE, Clairmont, AC, Andon, MB, Nahhas, RW, Goel, P & Matkovic, V (1998) Iron status, menarche, and calcium supplementation in adolescent girls. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 68, 880–887.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Jacob, RA, Skala, JH, Omaye, ST & Turnlund, JR (1987) Effect of varying ascorbic acid intakes on copper absorption and ceruloplasmin levels in young men. Journal of Nutrition 117, 2109–2115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kalkwarf, HJ & Harrast, SD (1998) Effects of calcium supplementation and lactation on iron status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 67, 1244–1249.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Kauwell, GPA, Bailey, LB, Gregory, JFI, Bowling, DW & Cousins, RJ (1995) Zinc status is not adversely affected by folic acid supplementation and zinc intake does not impair folate utilization in human subjects. Journal of Nutrition 125, 66–72.Google Scholar
Levander, OA (1987) A global view of human selenium nutrition. Annual Review of Nutrition 7, 227–250.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lönnerdal, B, Cederblad, Å, Davidsson, L & Sandström, B (1984) The effect of individual components of soy formula and cows' milk formula on zinc bioavailability. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 40, 1064–1070.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Mao, X & Yao, G (1992) Effect of vitamin C supplementations on iron deficiency anemia in Chinese children. Biomedical Environmental Science 5, 125–129.Google ScholarPubMed
Mena, I, Horiuchi, K, Burke, K & Cotzias, GC (1969) Chronic manganese poisoning. Individual susceptibility and absorption of iron. Neurology 19, 1000–1006.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Milne, DB (1989) Effects of folic acid supplements on zinc-65 absorption and retention. The Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine 2, 297–304.Google Scholar
Minihane, AM & Fairweather-Tait, SJ (1998) Effect of calcium supplementation on daily nonheme-iron absorption and long-term iron status. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 68, 96–102.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Munoz, EC, Rosado, JL, Lopez, P, Furr, HC & Allen, LH (2000) Iron and zinc supplementation improves indicators of vitamin A status of Mexican preschoolers. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 71, 789–794.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Oberleas, D, Muhrer, ME & O'Dell, BL (1966) Dietary metal-complexing agents and zinc availability in the rat. Journal of Nutrition 90, 56–62.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
O'Brien, KO, Zavaleta, N, Caulfield, LE, Yang, D-X & Abrams, SA (1999) Influence of prenatal iron and zinc supplements on supplemental iron absorption, red blood cell iron incorporation, and iron status in pregnant Peruvian women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 69, 509–515.Google ScholarPubMed
Petterson, DS, Sandström, B & Cederblad, Å (1994) Absorption of zinc from lupin (Lupinus angustifolius)-based foods. British Journal of Nutrition 72, 865–871.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Power, HM, Heese, HD, Beatty, DW, Hughes, J & Dempster, WS (1991) Iron fortification of infant milk formula: the effects on iron status and immune function. Annals of Tropical Paediatrics 11, 57–66.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Powers, HJ (1995) Riboflavin-iron interactions with particular emphasis on the gastrointestinal tract. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society 54, 509–517.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Robinson, MF, Thomson, CD & Huemmer, PK (1985) Effect of a megadose of ascorbic acid, a meal and orange juice on the absorption of selenium as sodium selenite. The New Zealand Medical Journal 98, 627–629.Google ScholarPubMed
Rossander-Hultén, L, Brune, M, Sandström, B, Lönnerdal, B & Hallberg, L (1991) Competitive inhibition of iron absorption by manganese and zinc in humans. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 54, 152–156.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sandström, B, Davidsson, L, Cederblad, Å & Lönnerdal, B (1985) Oral iron, dietary ligands and zinc absorption. Journal of Nutrition 115, 411–414.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sandström, B & Cederblad, Å (1987) Effect of ascorbic acid on the absorption of zinc and calcium in man. International Journal of Vitamin & Nutrition Research 57, 87–90.Google ScholarPubMed
Seshadri, S, Shah, A & Bhade, S (1985) Haematologic response to anaemic preschool children to ascorbic acid supplementation. Human Nutrition: Applied Nutrition 39, 151–154.Google ScholarPubMed
Sharma, DC & Mathur, R (1995) Correction of anaemia and iron deficiency in vegetarians by administration of ascorbic acid. Indian Journal of Physiological Pharmacology 39, 403–406.Google ScholarPubMed
Sheldon, WL, Aspillaga, MO, Smith, PA & Lind, T (1985) The effects of oral iron supplementation on zinc and magnesium levels during pregnancy. British Journal of Obstretics and Gynaecology 92, 892–898.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Shingwekar, AG, Mohanram, M & Reddy, V (1979) Effect of zinc supplementation on plasma levels of vitamin A and retinol-binding protein in malnourished children. Clinica Chimica Acta 93, 97–100.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sokoll, LJ & Dawson-Hughes, B (1992) Calcium supplementation and plasma ferritin concentrations in premenopausal women. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, 1045–1048.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Spencer, H, Kramer, L, Norris, C & Osis, D (1984) Effect of calcium and phosphorus on zinc metabolism in man. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 40, 1213–1218.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Tamura, T, Goldenberg, RL, Freeberg, LE, Cliver, SP, Cutter, GR & Hoffman, HJ (1992) Maternal serum folate and zinc concentrations and their relationships to pregnancy outcome. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 56, 365–370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Turnlund, JR, Wada, L, King, JC, Keyes, WR & Acord, LL (1988) Copper absorption in young men fed adequate and low zinc diets. Biological Trace Element Research 17, 31–41.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wright, RO, Shannon, MW, Wright, RJ & Hu, H (2000) Association between iron deficiency and low-level lead poisoning in an urban primary care clinic. American Journal of Public Health 89, 1049–1053.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Yadrick, MK, Kenney, MA & Winterfeldt, EA (1989) Iron, copper, and zinc status: response to supplementation with zinc or zinc and iron in adult females. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition 49, 145–150.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Yan, L, Prentice, A, Dibba, B, Jarjou, LMA, Stirling, DM & Fairweather-Tait, S (1996) The effect of long-term calcium supplementation on indices of iron, zinc and magnesium status in lactating Gambian women. British Journal of Nutrition 76, 821–831.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed