Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, Thailand.
Int J Food Sci Nutr. 2009;60 Suppl 1:43-55. doi: 10.1080/09637480802084844. Epub 2008 Jul 4.
Spices and herbs are extensively used in indigenous diets in tropical regions where prevalence of iron deficiency is still high. They are rich in polyphenolic compounds that are expected to inhibit iron absorption by forming iron complexes in the intestine, making dietary iron less available for absorption. The effects of six spices and herbs (chili pepper, garlic, 'Pak kyheng' (Thai leafy vegetable), shallot, tamarind, turmeric) and one mixture of spices (curry paste) on iron availability were determined by measuring the percentage dialyzable iron after addition of spices and herbs to a rice meal after simulated digestion. All tested spices and herbs contained from 0.5 to 33 mg polyphenol per meal and were potent inhibitors of iron availability (20-90%), reducing iron availability in a dose-dependent manner--with the exception of tamarind, which at 11 mg polyphenol per meal enhanced iron availability. Our findings demonstrate that culinary spices and herbs can play an important role in iron nutrition.
香料和草药在热带地区的土著饮食中被广泛使用，这些地区的缺铁症仍然很普遍。它们富含多酚化合物，这些化合物预计会通过在肠道中形成铁复合物来抑制铁的吸收，从而使膳食铁的吸收变得不那么容易。六种香料和草药（辣椒、大蒜、“Pak kyheng”（泰国叶菜）、葱、罗望子、姜黄）和一种香料混合物（咖喱酱）对铁可用性的影响是通过在模拟消化后将香料和草药添加到米饭中，测量可透析铁的百分比来确定的。所有测试的香料和草药每餐都含有 0.5 至 33 毫克的多酚，并且是铁可用性的有效抑制剂（20-90%），以剂量依赖的方式降低铁的可用性-罗望子除外，其每餐 11 毫克的多酚可提高铁的可用性。我们的研究结果表明，烹饪香料和草药在铁营养中可以发挥重要作用。
