EFFECT OF ALTITUDE ON IRON-ABSORPTION

Iron bioavailability was evaluated in people living in high altitudes. Absorption was estimated from a reference dose of ferrous ascorbate a nd from a standard diet of wheat flour, using extrinsic tag radioisoto pe technique of Fe-55 and Fe-59. Twenty four volunteers, healthy women , with ages ranging from 28 to 45 years, participated. Of those, eleve n lived at 3450 meters above sea level (m.a.s.l.) in Huancayo city-Per u (study group), and 13 lived in Santiago de Chile at 630 m.a.s.l. (co ntrol group). Iron absorption from reference dose of ferrous ascorbate was 32.0% and 31.1% in the study and control groups respectively. The geometric mean of iron absorption from the standard diet, corrected t o 40% of absorption of reference dose, was 9.0% and 6.9% in the study and control groups respectively (NS). The results suggest that altitud e does not produce a high iron absorption in highlander residents.