A number of studies have shown that tea catechins can inhibit intestinal iron absorption, mostly iron in the nonhaem form. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, 3-periods cross-over study examined the degree of inhibition of nonhaem iron absorption by pure crystalline epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG). The study was designed to show the maximum inhibitory action of EGCG by selecting ...

Commercial elemental iron powders (electrolytic and reduced iron), as well as heme iron supplements, were tested for efficacy in improving the iron status of women. In a randomized, double-blind trial, 51 women with moderate to low iron stores received daily for 12 wk: 1) placebo, 2) 5 mg iron as heme iron or 50 mg iron as 3) electrolytic iron, 4) reduced iron, or 5) FeSO(4). Treatments were pr...

Iron and zinc are currently the trace minerals of greatest concern when considering the nutritional value of vegetarian diets. With elimination of meat and increased intake of phytate-containing legumes and whole grains, the absorption of both iron and zinc is lower with vegetarian than with nonvegetarian, diets. The health consequences of lower iron and zinc bioavailability are not clear, espe...

The cellular stores of iron in granulocytes and platelets isolated from 29 patients with ankylosing spondylitis were measured by the nuclear microprobe technique. The mean iron content in polymorphonuclear cells (PMNs) was 32 (SD 3) micrograms/g dry weight and in platelets 11 (2.6) micrograms/g dry weight. Corresponding values for age and sex matched healthy controls were 5.2 (1.9) and 4.6 (0.8...

In this paper we present a method for determining the iron saturation of ferritin as a possible independent predictor of iron stores. Serum ferritin was purified by immunochemical precipitation, and could be completely recovered from serum without any contamination from transferrin. The iron content of the precipitated ferritin was determined by flameless atomic absorption spectrophotometry (FA...

The UK Food Standards Agency convened a group of expert scientists to review current research investigating factors affecting iron status and the bioavailability of dietary iron. Results presented at the workshop show menstrual blood loss to be the major determinant of body iron stores in premenopausal women. In the presence of abundant and varied food supplies, the health consequences of lower...

A 37-year old woman was referred to our clinic with severe iron-deficiency anemia which failed to respond to iron replacement therapy. Continued blood loss and compliance problems were excluded. Since the patient reported a daily intake of two liters of black tea, it was suspected that the tea had adverse effects on intestinal iron absorption. When the patient stopped drinking black tea her bod...

Hepcidin production is homeostatically regulated by iron stores, anemia and hypoxia. We evaluated the effect of iron overload and of ineffective erythropoeisis on hepcidin expression in patients with thalassemia major. Liver hepcidin mRNA levels correlated with hemoglobin concentration and inversely correlated with serum transferrin receptor, erythropoietin and non-transferrin-bound iron. They ...

OBJECTIVE To determine the prevalence of anemia and iron status among Chilean women of childbearing age between 1981 and 2010. MATERIALS AND METHODS Calculation of the prevalence of anemia and iron status was based on multiple cross-sectional iron absorption studies performed in 888 women during this period of time. All studies included measurements of hemoglobin, mean corpuscular volume, zin...