Polyphenol-rich tea decreases iron absorption from fortified wheat bread in Senegalese mother-child pairs and bioavailability of ferrous fumarate is sharply lower in children.

Background/objectives: Fractional iron absorption (FAFe) from ferrous fumarate (FeFum) and ferrous sulfate (FeSO) in adults is generally comparable. While FeFum is commonly used to fortify infant foods, FAFe from FeFum in young children and infants may be decreased compared with FeSO and this effect has not been assessed in inhibitory vs noninhibitory meals. Previous studies also reported FAFe to be strongly correlated in mother-child pairs. Our objective was to measure FAFe from fortified bread labeled with FeSO and FeFum in mother-child pairs with and without a commonly consumed herbal tea of Combretum micranthum (Tisane Kinkéliba, TK).

Methods: Senegalese mother-child pairs (n = 17) were randomly assigned to receive, in a 2 × 2 factorial design, fortified bread with FeSO or FeFum consumed with TK or water. FAFe was assessed by measuring erythrocyte incorporation of stable iron-isotopes 14 days after administration.

Results: In children, relative bioavailability (RBV) from FeFum was 51 and 64% compared with FeSO when served with TK or water (both, P < 0.05). In mothers, the presence of TK decreased FAFe by 56% (P < 0.05) and 50% (P = 0.077) and in children by 65 and 72% (both, P < 0.0001), in the meals with FeSO and FeFum, respectively. After adjustment for plasma ferritin, there was a positive correlation between FAFe in mothers and children (r = 0.4142, P = 0.001).

Conclusions: In Senegalese women and children, herbal tea decreased FAFe from a wheat-based meal. The RBV of FeFum was low in children but not in their mothers. FAFe was modestly correlated in mother-child pairs, possibly due to shared genetic, epigenetic or environmental background.