American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol 21, 284-288, Copyright © 1968 by The American Society for Clinical Nutrition, Inc.

Some Therapeutic Implications of Ferrous Sulfate-Ascorbic Acid Mixtures

¹ From the Georgetown Medical Division, D. C. General Hospital, Washington, D.C.; the Department of Medicine, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine; and the Department of Hematology, Hektoen Institute for Medical Research of the Cook County Hospital, Chicago, Illinois

Ascorbic acid has been shown to potentiate the absorption of ferrous sulfate in aqueous solutions, in standard tablet form, and in a plastic matrix. The potentiation increases with increasing doses of ascorbic acid up to 500 mg and holds with doses of iron up no 120 mg. The use of iron prepartions containing ascorbic acid may permit the use of less frequent doses in the therapy of iron-deficiency anemia and may refill iron stores better than oral iron salts without ascorbic acid.