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Enhancement of Iron Absorption in Iron Depleted Rats by Increasing Dietary Fat¹

Division of Nutritional Sciences, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853

The effect of changing the level and type of dietary fat on iron absorption in male weanling, iron depleted rats was studied. Changes in fat content included an increase from 5% to 20% of the diet and exchange of lard for corn oil. Both increasing the fat level and changing to a more saturated fat source were associated with small but significant increases in iron absorption when compared to the control diet containing 5% corn oil. The enhancing effect on iron absorption observed with changing the dietary fat was observed when ferrous sulfate was fed at sub-optimal, normal and excessive levels of iron compared to the NRC recommendation of 35 mg/kg diet for the growing rat. No effect of dietary fat occurred when hemoglobin iron was fed. Male weanling rats were depleted for 3 weeks until their hemoglobin levels were 4 to 7 g/100 ml. All repletion diets contained 18% casein and 52% to 68% glucose as the sole carbohydrate. Iron from ferrous sulfate was added at the levels of 15, 35, and 350 mg/kg. With each level and source of iron, four experimental diets were fed containing 5% or 20% of either corn oil or lard. The effect of dietary fat on iron absorption was assessed by whole body counting after feeding iron-59, by hemoglobin regeneration and by liver iron accumulation. With the lowest level of added iron from ferrous sulfate (15 mg/kg) the enhancing effect of increasing the fat level was seen with all three assessment criteria. With 35 mg iron/kg of diet (the NRC recommendation), the whole body counts and liver iron accumulation, but not the final hemoglobin level showed the enhancing effect of fat. At the highest level of iron, 350 mg/kg, only liver iron accumulation was significantly enhanced by the increase in dietary fat.

KEY WORDS: • iron absorption • liver iron • dietary fat

¹ Supported in part by a grant from the New York State College of Human Ecology at Cornell and by Contract No. 12-14-10999 (61) with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Manuscript received 3 February 1977.