Iron absorption from South-East Asian diets and the effect of iron fortification

The increase in iron absorption was measured when different amounts of ferrous sulphate were added to rice-based South-East Asian meals. The study comprised 158 subjects--118 women and 40 men. Iron fortification of simple meals composed of rice, boiled vegetables, and a curry to a level of 5 mg of iron per meal increased the absorption by about 0.2 to 0.3 mg of iron per meal. The additionof fish to such a meal doubled the absorption increase at a fortification level of 5 mg per meal. This absorption increase was about the same as obtained with composite western-type meals containing fish or meat. The results indicate that iron fortification programs may be effective in countries with rice-based diets provided that there is a suitable vehicle available for fortification.