Overview
● Nutrition interactions affect bioavailability of nutrients
antagonistically or synergistically
● Main interactions
○ Fibre-mineral
○ Mineral-mineral
○ Vitamin-mineral
Fibre-mineral interactions
● Components of fibre (i.e. phytic acid/phytates and oxalic
acid/oxalates) can bind to some minerals to form complexes
(chelates) that are poorly absorbed.
○ Phosphates on those compounds have neg charged oxygen atoms
which positively charged minerals bind to - insoluble
complexes
● High fibre diets may decrease mineral absorption (particularly
calcium and iron).
● Leavening agents (i.e. yeast in bread) produce enzymes that can
break bonds formed between phytic acid and minerals = increase
mineral absorption
○ Therefore important to have cereal/grain based products even
if high in fibre
Vitamin-mineral interactions
● Synergistic
○ Iron (non haem) + vit c
■ Only occurs with food sources of non-haem, not in
supplemental iron sources
■ HCl in stomach solubilises and hydrolyses non-haem
iron + converts iron
■ Ferric iron (Fe3+) in food must be converted into Fe2+
FERROUS state
■ Facilitated by ascorbic acid (vit c)
○ Vit D + calcium
■ Vit D also enhances absorption of magnesium, zinc,
copper, iron, selenium
■ Vit D3 upregulates Vit D regulating protein (VDR)
which acts on receptor sites for calbindin (protein) -
This study source was downloaded by 1143875 from cliffsnotes.com on 08-10-2025 19:36:45 GMT -05:00
https://www.cliffsnotes.com//study-notes/6655972
● Nutrition interactions affect bioavailability of nutrients
antagonistically or synergistically
● Main interactions
○ Fibre-mineral
○ Mineral-mineral
○ Vitamin-mineral
Fibre-mineral interactions
● Components of fibre (i.e. phytic acid/phytates and oxalic
acid/oxalates) can bind to some minerals to form complexes
(chelates) that are poorly absorbed.
○ Phosphates on those compounds have neg charged oxygen atoms
which positively charged minerals bind to - insoluble
complexes
● High fibre diets may decrease mineral absorption (particularly
calcium and iron).
● Leavening agents (i.e. yeast in bread) produce enzymes that can
break bonds formed between phytic acid and minerals = increase
mineral absorption
○ Therefore important to have cereal/grain based products even
if high in fibre
Vitamin-mineral interactions
● Synergistic
○ Iron (non haem) + vit c
■ Only occurs with food sources of non-haem, not in
supplemental iron sources
■ HCl in stomach solubilises and hydrolyses non-haem
iron + converts iron
■ Ferric iron (Fe3+) in food must be converted into Fe2+
FERROUS state
■ Facilitated by ascorbic acid (vit c)
○ Vit D + calcium
■ Vit D also enhances absorption of magnesium, zinc,
copper, iron, selenium
■ Vit D3 upregulates Vit D regulating protein (VDR)
which acts on receptor sites for calbindin (protein) -
This study source was downloaded by 1143875 from cliffsnotes.com on 08-10-2025 19:36:45 GMT -05:00
https://www.cliffsnotes.com//study-notes/6655972
