EFFECT OF MILK AND FERMENTED MILK ON IRON-ABSORPTION IN ILEOSTOMY SUBJECTS

This study was undertaken to determine whether milk with its high calc ium content adversely affects the absorption of nonheme iron from the diet as greatly as single-meal studies indicate. Nine ileostomy subjec ts ate a low-fiber, low-phytate diet for 8 consecutive weeks, During t he first and eighth weeks they drank a 250-mL soft drink with three ma in meals and an evening snack each day (0.16 g Ca/d). During the two i ntervening 3-wk periods, they drank the same amount of low-fat milk or fermented low-fat milk (Verum; Halsofil, Norrmejerier, Umea, Sweden) according to a formally randomized crossover design (1.4 g Ca/d). Duri ng the last 2 d in each of the four periods, apparent iron absorption (balance) from a test diet together with that period's beverage was me asured and the plasma ferritin concentration was determined. There was no decrease in apparent iron absorption during the milk diet periods.