AboutDr. Ravindra Bhaskar Ghooi Expertise I can provide information on drugs and medicines, their actions, uses, interactions and adverse effects. To avoid confusion, generic names of
medicines may please be provided. I am a pharmacologist, having worked
on animal and human pharmacology, and presently I am the Dean of Bilcare Research Academy, where we teach courses on clinical research. We dont work on saturdays and sundays, hence questions reachng me on these days will be replied on Monday, please bear with me.
Question Hallo,i was taking feric hydroxide polymaltose iron+Folic acid at age of 13 because i had iron deficiency.I took one chewing tablet everyday for six months.Each chewable tablet contained 357,00 mg ferric hydroxide polymaltose complex corresponds to 100,00mg Iron (III) and 0,350 mg folic acid.Do you believe tha this iron supplement inhibit absorption Zinc from my daily foods?? i read some study,which presents that iron supplments can interefere with Zinc at solutions(supplemental iron does let the absorption of zinc from foods??????).I was scared because i read the consequences of zinc deficiency to a teen boy even if it is mild or light. Thank you very much for your time. I will wait for your answer. Dimitris
P/S I was taking the iron tablet mostly at morning and sometimes a noon and before sleep
Answer Hi Dimitris,
The recommended daily allowance for zinc between the ages of 9 and 13 years is 8 mg and between 14 to 18 years is 11 mg, you require 11 mg pr day.
I agree that large maount of iron taken daily does affect Zinc absorption, this happens when your daily intake of iron is above 25 mg which in your case it is.
The question is whether you are still taking iron, becuse you wrote that you took it for 6 months. If you have stopped iron supplementation then there is no worry.
Zince deficinecy is common in vegetarians and those with malabsorption syndromes. Unless you suffer from this you need not worry.
If you feel that you have the deficinecy then the best way would be to check zinc levels in your body and take zinc supplements if there is deficiency.
Best wishes
Ravi Ghooi
