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Iron Bioavailability from Diets Consumed by Different Socioeconomic Strata of the Venezuelan Population^1,2,

Centro de Medicina Experimental, Instituto Venezolano de Investigaciones Cientificas (IVIC) ^* Fundacredesa, Altamira, Caracas, Venezuela

The iron bioavailability from three typical diets consumed by socioeconomic stratum IV (SES IV—working class) of the Venezuelan population was determined by the extrinsic label method. Although the iron content of the SES IV diets was about the same (250 µmol/d) as that of upper (SES I–III) and lower (SES V) socioeconomic strata diets, iron-replete subjects absorbed 43 and 61% more iron from the SES I–III diets than from the SES IV and V diets, respectively, and absorption from the main meal of the SES I–III diets was 100% greater. However, iron deficient subjects absorbed about the same amount of iron (45 µmol/d) from the SES IV diets as from the SES I–III diets. The SES I–III diets contained more iron absorption enhancers (ascorbic acid and meat protein) and less of the inhibitor phytate, than the SES IV and V diets. Iron absorption from the meals of four diets consumed at different times during the day was also measured. There was no significant difference in the percentage iron absorption from the same meals eaten in the morning after an overnight fast, and when eaten at the customary time of day.

KEY WORDS: • absorption • Venezuela • humans • iron • diet

¹ Supported in part by Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Cientificas y Tecnológicas (CONICIT), Venezuela, the United Nations University and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

² The costs of publication of this article were defrayed in part by the payment of page charges. This article must therefore be hereby marked "advertisement" in accordance with 18 USC section 1734 solely to indicate this fact.

³ To whom correspondence should be addressed.

Manuscript received 6 October 1993. Revision accepted 4 November 1994.