The behavior of minerals is often influenced by the presence of other food constituents.
Minerals are absorbed primarily in the small intestine and subsequently circulated to the liver in the blood. It has been shown that mineral absorption is decreased by fiber.
Phytates in fiber can form insoluble complexes with iron and zinc and may interfere with the absorption of calcium by causing formation of fiber-bound calcium in the intestines.
Phytate is not the only dietary component that influence mineral bioavailability. Other food components such as dietary fiber, polysaccharides, oxalates, and polyphenols, are also known to influence the bioavailability of minerals adversely. The negative effect of phytate and polyphenols on iron bioavailability is relatively strong.
Vitamin D also play a vital role in calcium absorption and utilization. Consequently, severe maternal vitamin D deficiency interferes with normal calcium metabolism, resulting in rickets in the infants and osteomalacia in the mother.
Meat factor can increased the iron bioavailability. It has been suggested that amino acids or polypeptides that result from digestion are able to chelate nonheme iron.
While meat factor and vitamin C can enhance bioavailability of nonheme iron, other dietary components are inhibitory. For example, compound called chelators bind nonheme iron in intestines., making the iron unavailable for absorption.
Minerals interaction with other food components