The influence of previous iron intake on the estimation of bioavailability of Fe from a test meal given to rats

Abstract

1. Iron retention and its subsequent distribution from 3 g 59Fe extrinsically-labelled wholewheat flour in rats given a low (8 g Fe/g)-Fe diet during the previous 3 d was measured (Expt 1). The mean (with se) proportion of Fe retained from wholewheat flour was 0.46 (0.04) in the group given the low-Fe diet and 0.15 (0.01) in the group given the high-Fe diet (P < 0.001). There was no difference in distribution of absorbed 59Fe in the tissues examined.