Laval University recommends beef as source of iron and zinc

Nutrition researchers from Laval University in Quebec have shown just how important beef is as a source of the essential minerals, iron and zinc, in the diets of Quebecers.  Their analyses of one-day food records from over 2,000 adults in the province were presented in April, 1999 in Washington D.C. at the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology conference.

"Both zinc and absorbable iron intakes correlated closely with the amount of beef in the diet," says Huguette Turgeon-O'Brien, a professor of nutrition at Laval.

"The findings related to iron are particularly important for women, since 56% of the women did not meet the Canadian Recommended Nutrient Intake for iron."  A deficiency of iron can have an adverse effect on attention span, memory, learning ability, productivity, physical performance and endurance.

Although many foods contain iron, the type found in grain products and vegetables is not as easily available to humans as the heme iron in meat, poultry, and fish.  Beef contains heme iron, of which as much as 23% will be absorbed by the body compared to as little as 3% of the available iron will be absorbed from plant foods such as cereals, vegetables, etc. or from iron pills.  Plus, the presents of beef in the diet increases the absorption of iron from plant foods.

Beef is the richest source of heme iron.  In fact, one 90g ( 3 oz ) serving of lean beef provides as much usable iron as 1 Liter ( 4 cups ) of spinach.

"In our study, only one out of four women had what is considered an adequate intake of absorbable iron." says Turgeon-O'Brien.  "The men's diets were somewhat better with 55% meeting the suggested absorbable iron intake."

Men also had higher intakes of zinc, primarily because they ate more beef.   This mineral plays an important role in normal growth and development.

Only the oldest group of women, those over 65 years of age, had inadequate zinc intakes on the day studied.  If this lack of zinc is ongoing, it could result in less resistance to infection, poor wound healing and loss of taste.

This article originally appeared in the
BEEF INFORMATION CENTRE REPORT
March 1999

Copyright © 1999, Beef Information Centre Report.
All Rights Reserved.

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