Diego Gaitán

Calcium Does Not Inhibit the Absorption of 5 Milligrams of Nonheme or Heme Iron at Doses Less Than 800 Milligrams in Nonpregnant Women

Calcium is the only known component in the diet that may affect absorption of both nonheme and heme iron. However, the evidence for a calcium effect on iron absorption mainly comes from studies that did not isolate the effect of calcium from that of other dietary components, because it was detected in single-meal studies. Our objective was to establish potential effects of calcium on absorption of nonheme and heme iron and the dose response for this effect in the absence of a meal. Fifty-four healthy, nonpregnant women were selected to participate in 4 iron absorption studies using iron radioactive tracers. We evaluated the effects of calcium doses between 200 and 1500 mg on absorption of 5 mg nonheme iron (as ferrous sulfate). We also evaluated the effects of calcium doses between 200 and 800 mg on absorption of 5 mg heme iron [as concentrated RBC (CRBC)]. Calcium was administered as calcium chloride in all studies and minerals were ingested on an empty stomach. Calcium doses ≥1000 mg diminished nonheme iron absorption by an average of 49.6%. A calcium dose of 800 mg diminished absorption of 5 mg heme iron by 37.7%. In conclusion, we demonstrated an isolated effect of calcium (as chloride) on absorption of 5 mg of iron provided as nonheme (as sulfate) and heme (as CRBC) iron. This effect was observed at doses higher than previously reported from single-meal studies, starting at ~800 mg of calcium.

Iron Absorption from Two Milk Formulas Fortified with Iron Sulfate Stabilized with Maltodextrin and Citric Acid

Background: Fortification of milk formulas with iron is a strategy widely used, but the absorption of non-heme iron is low. The purpose of this study was to measure the bioavailability of two iron fortified milk formulas designed to cover toddlers’ nutritional needs. These milks were fortified with iron sulfate stabilized with maltodextrin and citric acid. Methods: 15 women (33–47 years old) participated in study. They received on different days, after an overnight fast, 200 mL of Formula A; 200 mL of Formula B; 30 mL of a solution of iron and ascorbic acid as reference dose and 200 mL of full fat cow’s milk fortified with iron as ferrous sulfate. Milk formulas and reference dose were labeled with radioisotopes 59Fe or 55Fe, and the absorption of iron measured by erythrocyte incorporation of radioactive Fe. Results: The geometric mean iron absorption corrected to 40% of the reference dose was 20.6% for Formula A and 20.7% for Formula B, versus 7.5% of iron fortified cow’s milk (p < 0.001). The post hoc Sheffé indeed differences between the milk formulas and the cow’s milk (p < 0.001). Conclusion: Formulas A and B contain highly bioavailable iron, which contributes to covering toddlers’ requirements of this micronutrient.

Concentrations of Plasma Free Palmitoleic and Dihomo-Gamma Linoleic Fatty Acids Are Higher in Children with Abdominal Obesity

Increased plasma free fatty acids (FFAs) are associated with cardiometabolic risk factors in adults with abdominal obesity (AO). However, this association remains controversial in children. This study analyzed plasma FFA concentration in children with and without AO. Twenty-nine children classified with AO were matched by age and sex with 29 non-obese individuals. Blood samples were collected after fasting for 10–12 h. Plasma concentration of glucose, insulin, triglycerides, total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were determined by automatized methods. FFAs were analyzed by gas chromatography. Children with and without AO had similar age (7.1 ± 2.6 vs. 7.2 ± 2.7 years; p > 0.05) but obese children showed higher (p < 0.05) body mass index (BMI) (+4.3 kg/m2), systolic blood pressure (+5.1 mmHg), and insulin (+27.8 pmol/L). There were no significant differences in plasma total FFA concentration between groups (1.02 ± 0.61 vs. 0.89 ± 0.37 mmol/L; p > 0.05). However, children with AO had higher palmitoleic acid (0.94 vs. 0.70 wt %; p < 0.05) and dihomo-gamma linoleic acid (DHGL) (2.76 vs. 2.07 wt %; p < 0.05). Palmitoleic and DHGL acids correlated (p < 0.05) with BMI (r = 0.397; r = 0.296, respectively) and with waist circumference (r = 0.380; r = 0.276, respectively). Palmitoleic acid correlated positively with systolic blood pressure (r = 0.386; p < 0.05) and negatively with HDL-C (−0.572; p < 0.01). In summary, children with AO have higher plasmatic concentrations of free palmitoleic and DHGL fatty acids, which correlate with cardiometabolic risk factors.