Effects of level and source of dietary fat on the bioavailability of iron from turkey meat for the anemic rat.

The amount and source of fat in the diet can affect the growth response. Differences in growth among treatments an affect iron bioavailability determinations when change in hemoglobin concentration is used as the criterion. The amount and source of fat was varied in diets fed to anemic rats for assaying the bioavailability of iron from turkey meat. It was observed that gain in body weight increased as the amount of fat in the diet increased and concurrently, that the gain in hemoglobin concentration decreased. By expressing iron bioavailability as the efficiency of the conversion of dietary iron into hemoglobin, it was demonstrated that the amount of fat in the diet did not affect the bioavailability of iron from turkey meat or from ferrous sulfate. It was found that animals fed beef fat were most efficient at converting iron from turkey meat into hemoglobin followed by those fed turkey fat, corn oil and pork fat in descending order. Differences in liver iron concentrations among treatments were minimal even when the low-iron, basal diet treatment is included in the comparisons.