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Estimation of Iron Physiological Requirement in Chinese Children using Single Stable Isotope Tracer Technique
Yu Zhang1, Xiao Bing Liu2, Tong Xiang Ren3
1Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Beijing 102206, China;Gansu Center for Disease Control and Prevention, Gansu 73000, Lanzhou, China.
Insights
This study reveals that girls require more daily iron than boys of the same weight. Precise data on iron physiological requirements in children can inform updated dietary intake recommendations.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Nutrition
- Human Physiology
- Stable Isotope Tracers
Background:
- Accurate assessment of iron physiological requirements is crucial for child development.
- Previous data on iron needs in Chinese children may not fully reflect physiological variations.
- Stable isotope techniques offer precise methods for studying nutrient metabolism.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine precise iron physiological requirements in Chinese children using a single stable isotope tracer technique.
- To compare iron requirements between boys and girls within the same age group.
- To provide data for revising dietary reference intakes for children.
Main Methods:
- Administered oral 6 mg of 57Fe daily for 5 days to 30 boys and 27 girls (ages 10.4-10.6 years).
- Monitored changes in total iron concentration and 57Fe abundance in blood samples over 720 days.
- Calculated iron physiological requirement based on iron loss and circulation rate after 57Fe stabilization.
Main Results:
- Iron physiological requirement was significantly lower in boys (16.88 ± 7.12 μg/kg/day) compared to girls (18.40 ± 8.81 μg/kg/day).
- Absolute daily requirements were calculated as 722.46 ± 8.43 μg/day for boys and 708.40 ± 7.55 μg/day for girls.
- Estimated average iron physiological requirement, considering 10% absorption, was 6.0 mg/day for boys and 6.2 mg/day for girls.
Conclusions:
- Girls require a higher daily iron intake than boys of equivalent body weight.
- Findings highlight potential sex-based differences in iron metabolism and requirements in children.
- This research supports the revision of dietary reference intakes for iron in pediatric populations.
Objective:
This study is to obtain precise data on iron physiological requirements in Chinese children using single stable isotope tracer technique.
Methods:
Thirty boys (10.6 ± 0.2 years) and 27 girls (10.4 ± 0.2 years) were received oral 6 mg 57Fe each day for 5 consecutive days. Venous blood samples were subsequently drawn to examine the change of total iron concentration and 57Fe abundance at day 0, 14, 28, 60, 90, 180, 360, 450, 540, 630, 720. The iron physiological requirement was calculated by iron loss combined with iron circulation rate once 57Fe abundance stabilized in human body.
Results:
The iron physiological requirement was significantly lower in boys than those values in girls (16.88 ± 7.12 vs. 18.40 ± 8.81 μg/kg per day, P < 0.05). Correspondingly, the values were calculated as 722.46 ± 8.43 μg/day for boys and 708.40 ± 7.55 μg/day for girls, respectively. Considering nearly 10% iron absorption rate, the estimated average iron physiological requirement was 6.0 mg/day in boys and 6.2 mg/day in girls.
Conclusion:
This study indicate that iron physiological requirement could require more daily iron intake in girls as compare with the values in boys having the same body weight. These findings would be facilitate to the new revised dietary reference intakes.
