Relationship between Iron Bio-Availability from Diets and the Prevalence of iron Deficiency

Iron bioavailability was determined by the extrinsic label method in seven diets consumed by low, middle, and high socio-economic strata of the Venezuelan population. The results were compared with physiologic iron requirements and the prevalence of iron deficiency according to age and sex of others in the same strata. The iron metabolic balance obtained by comparing the iron absorption from diets with the physiologic iron requirement was negative in subjects consuming the low-bioavailability diets, being more marked in children below four years of age, and in adolescents and adult females. These groups also showed the highest prevalence of iron deficiency with and without anaemia. The metabolic iron balance in subjects consuming high iron-bioavailability diets was less negative among vulnerable groups consuming low-bioavailability diets and positive in the age and sex groups less vulnerable to iron deficiency. This information was used to identify the principal categories of dietary iron bioavailability in various regions of the world and their effect on the prevalence of iron deficiency.