Abstract
There is increasing concern about potential negative interactions in combined iron and zinc supplementation. The aim of the present study was to determine the dose-response effect of zinc, given as a solution, on iron bioavailability. Twenty-two healthy adult women were selected to participate in the study. Iron, with or without zinc was given as an aqueous solution on d 1,2,14, and 15 of the study. Iron bioavailability was measured on the basis of erythrocyte incorporation of55Fe or59Fe 14 d after administration. Subjects received 0.5 mg of iron together with graded zinc concentrations (0-11.71 mg). No significant effect of zinc on iron absorption was found at Zn : Fe molar ratios up to 2 :1. At 5:1,10:1, and 20 :1 molar ratios, a dose-dependent inhibitory effect on iron absorption was observed (28-40% of iron absorption inhibition; one-way repeated-measures ANOVA, F = 4.48,p = 0.02). In conclusion, zinc administration combined with iron in an aqueous solution leads to the inhibition of iron bioavailability, which occurs in a dose-dependent way. This negative interaction should be considered for supplementation programs with both microminerals.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
E. DeMaeyer and M. Adiels-Tegman, The prevalence of anaemia in the world,World Health Statist. Q. 38, 302–316 (1985).
M. Olivares, T. Walter, E. Hertrampf, and F. Pizarro, Anaemia and iron deficiency disease in children,Br. Med. Bull. 55, 534–548 (1999).
R. W. Crofton, D. Gvozdanovic, S. Gvozdanovic, et al., Inorganic zinc and the intestinal absorption of ferrous iron,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 50, 141–144 (1989).
L. Rossander-Hultén, M. Brune, B. Sandström, B. Lónnerdal, and L. Hallberg, Competitive inhibition of iron absorption by manganese and zinc in humans,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 54, 152–156 (1991).
J. K. Friel, R. E. Serfass, P. V. Fennessey, et al., Elevated intakes of zinc in infant formulas do not interfere with iron absorption in premature infants,J. Pediatr. Gastroenterol. Nutr. 27, 312–316 (1998).
K. O. O’Brien, N. Zavaleta, L. E. Caulfield, D. X.Yang, and S. A. Abrams, Influence of prenatal iron and zinc supplements on supplemental iron absorption, red blood cell incorporation, and iron status in pregnant Peruvian women,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 69, 509–515 (1999).
S. Herman, I. J. Griffin, S. Suwarti, et al., Cofortification with zinc sulfate, but not zinc oxide, decreases iron absorption in Indonesian children,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 76, 813–817 (2002).
D. S. Fischer and D. C. Price, A simple serum iron method using the new sensitive chromogen tripyridyl-s-triazine,Clin. Chem. 10, 21–31 (1964).
International Anemia Consultative Group (INACG),Measurement of Iron Status: A Report of the International Anemia Consultative Group, The Nutrition Foundation, Washington, DC (1985).
J. D. Eakins and D. A. Brown, An improved method for the simultaneous determination of iron-55 and iron-59 in blood by liquid scintillation counting,Int. J. Appl. Radiact. Isotopes 17, 191–197 (1966).
S. B. Nadler, J. U. Hidalgo, and T. Bloch, Prediction of blood volume in normal human adults,Surgery 51, 224–232 (1962).
T. H. Bothwell and C. A. Finch,Iron Metabolism, Little Brown, Boston (1962).
M. Olivares, F. Pizarro, O. Pineda, J. J. Name, E. Hertrampf, and T. Walter, Milk inhibits and ascorbic acid favors ferrous bis-glycine chelate bioavailability in humans,J. Nutr. 127, 1407–1411 (1997).
E. M. Wien, R. P. Glahn, and D. R. Van Campen, Ferrous iron uptake by rat duodenal brush border membrane vesicles: effects of dietary iron level and competing minerals (Zn+2, Mn+2, and Ca+2),J. Nutr. Biochem. 5, 571–577 (1994).
M. Arredondo, R. Martinez, M. T. Nunez, M. Ruz, and M. Olivares, Increasing concentrations of Fe, Cu or Zn inhibit Fe and Cu uptake,Biol. Res. 39, 95–102 (2006).
H. Gunshin, B. Mackenzie, U. V. Berger, Y. Gunshin, M. F. Romero, and W. F. Boron, Cloning and characterization of a mamalian proton-coupled metal-ion transporter,Nature 388, 482–488 (1997).
K. Kordas and R. J. Stoltzfus, New evidence of iron and zinc interplay at the enterocyte and neural tissues,J. Nutr. 134, 1295–1298 (2004).
J. Tallkvist, C. L., Bowlus, and B. Lönnerdal, Functional and molecular responses of human intestinal Caco-2 cells to iron treatment,Am. J. Clin. Nutr. 72, 770–775 (2000).
S. Yamaji, J. Tennant, S. Tandy, M. Williams, S. K. S. Srai, and P. Sharp, Zinc regulates the function and expression of the iron transporters DMT1and IREG1 in human intestinal Caco-2 cells,FEBS Lett. 507, 137–141 (2001).
S. Tandy, M. Williams, A. Leggett, et al., Nramp2 expression is associated with pH-dependent iron uptake across the apical membrane of human intestinal Caco-2 cells,J. Biol. Chem. 275, 1023–1029 (2000).
W. R. Harris, Thermodynamic binding constants of the zinc-human serum transferrin complex,Biochemistry 16, 3920–3926 (1983).
P. M. Harrison, The ferritins: molecular properties, iron storage functions and cellular regulation,Biochim, Biophys. Acta 1275, 161–203 (1996).
W. Niereder, Ferritin: iron incorporation and release,Experientia 26, 218–220 (1990).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Olivares, M., Pizarro, F. & Ruz, M. Zinc inhibits nonheme iron bioavailability in humans. Biol Trace Elem Res 117, 7–14 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02698079
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02698079