Lower Non-Heme Iron Absorption in Healthy Females from Single Meals with Texturized Fava Bean Protein Compared to Beef and Cod Protein Meals: Two Single-Blinded Randomized Trials
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2022

Meat analogs based on plant protein extracts are rising in popularity as meat consumption declines. A dietary shift away from meat, which has a high iron bioavailability, may have a negative effect on the amount of iron absorbed from the diet. Iron absorption from legumes cultivated in regions not suitable for soy production, such as fava bean, has not yet been explored. The aim of this study was to evaluate non-heme iron absorption from a meal with texturized fava bean protein compared to beef and cod protein meals. The study included two single-blinded iron isotope trials in healthy Swedish women of the ages 18–45 years, each of whom served as their own control. The participants were served matched test meals containing beef and fava bean protein (Study 1) or cod and fava bean protein (Study 2) with radiolabeled non-heme iron 55Fe and 59Fe. The absorption of non-heme iron from test meals was measured by whole-body counting and erythrocyte incorporation. The absorption of non-heme iron, measured as erythrocyte incorporation ratio, from beef protein meal was 4.2 times higher compared to texturized fava bean meal, and absorption from cod protein meal was 2.7 times higher compared to the fava bean meal. The adjusted non-heme iron absorption, normalized to a 40% reference dose uptake, was 9.2% for cod protein meal, 21.7% for beef protein meal, and 4.2% for texturized fava bean meal. A fava bean protein meal has markedly lower iron bioavailability in healthy females compared with a meal of beef or cod protein. Therefore, a dietary shift from meat and fish protein to fava bean protein may increase the risk of iron deficiency.

fava bean

fish protein

whole-body counting

bean protein

single meal

non-heme iron absorption

protein shift

iron

plant-based

meat protein

Författare

Cecilia Mayer Labba

Chalmers, Biologi och bioteknik, Livsmedelsvetenskap

Michael Hoppe

Göteborgs universitet

Elisabeth Gramatkovski

Göteborgs universitet

Martin Hjellström

Göteborgs universitet

Mehdi Abdollahi

Chalmers, Biologi och bioteknik, Livsmedelsvetenskap

Ingrid Undeland

Chalmers, Biologi och bioteknik, Livsmedelsvetenskap

Lena Hulthén

Göteborgs universitet

Ann-Sofie Sandberg

Chalmers, Biologi och bioteknik, Livsmedelsvetenskap

Nutrients

2072-6643 (ISSN) 20726643 (eISSN)

Vol. 14 15 3162

Styrkeområden

Hälsa och teknik

Ämneskategorier

Näringslära

DOI

10.3390/nu14153162

PubMed

35956338

Mer information

Senast uppdaterat

2023-03-21