Effect of cysteine on iron absorption in man

Cysteine significantly increases, about 2-fold, the absorption from nonheme iron present in vegetable foods, hemosiderin, and of a ferric salt, when this amino acid is administered during the ingestion of foods. No enhancing effect was obtained when the amino acid was mixed with the food before the final cooking. A slight but significant enhancement of heme iron absorption was observed when a large dose of cysteine was administered during the ingestion of hemoglobin. This amino acid mimics the enhancing effect from proteins present in animal foods such as beef, lamb, pork, fish, chicken, and liver. It could be possible that proteins and cysteine share the same mechanism by which they induce an increase of iron absorption.