Iron availability is an important factor in the diet because iron deficiency anemia affects many people in the world. Cysteine and vitamin C are factors that increase its absorption. The research had the objectives of evaluating iron availability in meat, common beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) and the combination of rice and tomato with beans and to analyze if phytic acid, oxalic acid and tannins in the mixtures with beans affect iron availability significantly. The food was prepared as for consumption and the samples obtained by combining meat, beans, rice and tomato were: A1- meat; A2 - common beans; A3 - common beans and tomato; A4 - common beans and rice; and A5 - common beans, rice and tomato. Analyses of tannin, phytic acid, oxalic acid, and vitamin C contents and of in vitro iron content and dialysis were carried out. Low amounts of tannins, phytic acid and oxalic acid were found and they did not influence iron availability. Percentages from 5.73to13.61% dialysis were found, indicating that the combined addition of cysteine and vitamin C has an increased effect compared to when they are present separately.
vitamin C; cysteine; bean; tomato; rice; meat
