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Iron does not impair zinc absorption in pregnancy
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - High-dose iron supplements do not impair zinc absorption in pregnant women, UK researchers report in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
"Iron supplements do not have an adverse effect on zinc nutrition provided the diet is adequate in zinc," Dr. Susan J. Fairweather-Tait from Institute of Food Research, Norwich, told Reuters Health.
She and colleagues investigated whether consuming daily iron supplements (100 mg/day) from 16 weeks of gestation until delivery affected zinc absorption or zinc status in apparently healthy, pregnant women. Six women received the iron supplements and seven were given placebo.
Iron supplementation had no significant impact on fractional zinc absorption, the authors report.
"Provided women are consuming a diet that contains sufficient zinc (in terms of both quantity and bioavailability), they can adapt to the increased physiological requirement for zinc and will not need zinc supplements," Fairweather-Tait explained.
"However, if their diet is inadequate," she added, "then zinc supplements (like iron) would be recommended, as there is only a small store of zinc in the body."
SOURCE: American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, January 2007.
Reuters Health