IMPROVED ZINC AND IRON-ABSORPTION FROM BREAKFAST MEALS CONTAINING MALTED OATS WITH REDUCED PHYTATE CONTENT

The absorption of Zn or Fe from breakfast meals containing oat porridg e prepared from malted and soaked oats and a control porridge made fro m untreated oats was measured in human subjects. The effect on Zn and Fe absorption of reducing the phytate content of oat-porridge meals wa s examined in each subject by extrinsic labelling of porridge with Zn- 65 and of bread rolls with Fe-55 and Fe-59, and measuring whole-body r etention and the erythrocyte uptake of isotopes. Each experiment compr ised nine to ten subjects. The absorption of Zn from malted-oat porrid ge with a phytate (inositol hexaphosphate) content of 107 mu mol was 1 8.3%, and significantly higher (P < 0.05) than from the control porrid ge containing 432 mu mol phytate (11.8%). Pe absorption from the meal containing malted-oat porridge with 107 mu mol phytate (Expt 2) was al so significantly improved (P < 0.05) compared with that from the meal containing control porridge with 437 mu mol phytate. The average incre ase in Fe absorption was 47%, or from 4.4 to 6.0%. In the breakfast me al containing malted porridge with 198 mu mol phytate (Expt 3) the inc rease in Fe absorption was not significantly improved. Even though the phytate content was reduced to a greater extent in Expt 3 than Expt 2 , the average increase in Fe absorption in Expt 3 was only 25% more th an that from the meal containing control porridge (with 599 mu mol phy tate), depending on the higher absolute amount of phytate. In conclusi on, an improvement in Zn and Fe absorption from oat products can be ac hieved by practising malting and soaking in the processing of oats. Th is may be of importance in the prevention of mineral deficiency in vul nerable groups.