Journal of Nutrition

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Journal of Nutrition Vol. 30 No. 6 December 1945, pp. 485-494
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The Availability of the Iron in Hawaiian-Grown Vegetables1

One Figure

Carey D. Miller and Lucille Louis2

Nutrition Department, Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Hawaii, Honolulu, T. H.

The availability of the iron in fifteen Hawaiian-grown vegetables and one seaweed was determined by bioassay.

The mean values for hemoglobin regeneration in groups of anemic rats fed varying amounts of the foods for periods of 3 or 4 weeks were compared with those of control groups fed pure ferric chloride. All rats were given supplements of copper and manganese.

In comparison with the utilization of the iron in ferric chloride, the percentages of the total iron available in the foods studied were found to be as follows: green soybeans 96, taro corms 93, taro leaves 93, fresh lima beans 74, cowpeas (pods) 65, a seaweed, limu lipoa (Haliseris plagiogramma) 62, swamp cabbage (Ipomoea aquatica) 59, broccoli 52, green snap beans 49, white mustard cabbage (Brassica chinensis) 34, amaranth (Amaranthus gangeticus) 32, watercress 31, belembe (Xathosoma brasiliense) 31, carrots 17, green mustard cabbage (Brassica juncea) 10, and asparagus 6.

The superior quality of the iron of legume seeds for hemoglobin regeneration in the rat was confirmed. Taro corms and taro leaves, both important items in the diet of the Polynesians, were shown to have a high percentage of available iron.

The percentage of the food iron soluble in dilute acetic or in dilute sulphuric acid bore no relationship to the availability as determined by bioassay.

1 Published with the approval of the director as Technical Paper no. 127 of the Hawaii Agricultural Experiment Station.

2 Resigned February, 1942.

Manuscript received 9 July 1945.




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