Dietary fructose v. glucose lowers ferrous-iron absorption in rats

The effect of dietary fructose v. glucose on Fe solubility in the small intestine and apparent Fe absorption was studied in rats. Female rats were fed for 4 weeks on low-Fe (10 mg Fe/kg) or normal-Fe (40 mg Fe/kg) diets containing either fructose or glucose (709.4 g monosaccharide/kg). Fe was added to the diets in the form of FeSO4. The low-Fe diets did not lower levels of haemoglobin and packed cell volume, but significantly lowered Fe concentration and Fe mass in the liver, kidney and spleen. Fructose v. glucose also lowered Fe concentrations in these organs, but did not alter absolute Fe contents. Low Fe intake reduced the amount of Fe in the intestinal lumen. The total amount of Fe and Fe concentration in the liquid phase of the proximal intestinal lumen were depressed by fructose irrespective of Fe intake. Fructose also lowered the amount of Fe in the liquid phase of the distal intestine. In keeping with these observations, dietary fructose significantly lowered apparent absorption of Fe at the two levels of Fe intake. Decreasing the intake of Fe raised the percentage of apparent Fe absorption.