Iron absorption from Southeast Asian rice-based meals.

Area of Science:

• Nutrition Science
• Human Physiology
• Dietary Studies

Background:

• Iron deficiency remains a significant global health concern, particularly in Southeast Asia.
• Understanding non-heme iron absorption from staple diets is crucial for developing effective interventions.
• Traditional Burmese diets, primarily rice and vegetables, may pose a risk for inadequate iron intake.

Purpose of the Study:

• To quantify non-heme iron absorption from typical Burmese meals.
• To assess the impact of adding fish to a basal Burmese diet on iron bioavailability.
• To evaluate the potential of a common Southeast Asian diet to meet iron requirements.

Main Methods:

• Extrinsic radioiron tracer method was used to measure non-heme iron absorption from three distinct Burmese meals.
• Thirty-one healthy subjects were divided into three groups, each receiving a different meal.
• Absorption of reference ferrous ascorbate was measured for calibration across groups.

Main Results:

• Non-heme iron absorption from a basal rice, vegetable, and spice meal (7.6 mg iron) was 1.4%.
• Incorporating 40g of fish into the basal meal significantly enhanced absorption to 6.4% in men and 11.9% in women.
• A third meal with varied rice, vegetable, and fish proportions also showed higher absorption than the basal meal.

Conclusions:

• A typical Burmese rice and vegetable diet alone may not provide sufficient non-heme iron for maintaining iron balance.
• The addition of fish to the diet can substantially improve non-heme iron absorption.
• While a solely plant-based diet may be insufficient, continuous consumption of such diets is unlikely, potentially mitigating widespread iron deficiency.