Is Iron Better Absorbed with Juice or Cows Milk?
One-year-old children absorb iron supplements better when given with apple juice than when given with cow’s milk, according to a recent study at the Children’s Nutrition Research Center, published in the January issue of Pediatric Research. Steven Abrams, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics at Baylor College of Medicine, conducted the research to evaluate both the absorption of supplemental iron and the different methods of providing the supplement. BACKGROUND: Although iron-deficiency anemia has decreased in recent years in the United States, making sure infants and toddlers get an adequate amount of the mineral remains an important nutritional concern–particularly at the time of weaning from formula or breast milk to cow’s milk. Cow’s milk is known to be low in iron and high in calcium. Large amounts of calcium have been shown to inhibit iron absorption. Ferrous sulfate is widely used to provide supplemental iron for infants and toddlers. Prior studies have shown that iron absor
