Journal of the American College of Nutrition, Vol 13, Issue 6 584-591, Copyright © 1994 by American College of Nutrition

CLINICAL TRIAL

Effect of hypochlorhydria due to omeprazole treatment or atrophic gastritis on protein-bound vitamin B12 absorption

J. R. Saltzman, J. A. Kemp, B. B. Golner, M. C. Pedrosa, G. E. Dallal and R. M. Russell
USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging, Tufts University, Boston, MA.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of hypochlorhydria and acidic drink ingestion on protein-bound vitamin B12 absorption in elderly subjects. METHODS: Absorption of protein-bound vitamin B12 was examined in elderly normal subjects (n = 8), and in hypochlorhydric subjects due to omeprazole treatment (n = 8) or with atrophic gastritis (n = 3). Subjects underwent absorption tests of protein-bound vitamin B12 ingested with water, cranberry juice and 0.1 N hydrochloric acid. RESULTS: Protein-bound vitamin B12 absorption was lower in the omeprazole-treated group (0.50%) compared to the normal group (1.21%; p < 0.001). With cranberry juice ingestion, the omeprazole-treated group showed an increase in absorbed protein-bound vitamin B12 (p = 0.025). With dilute hydrochloric acid ingestion, there was a further increase in vitamin B12 absorption (p < 0.001). CONCLUSION: Omeprazole causes protein-bound vitamin B12 malabsorption, and ingestion of an acidic drink improves protein-bound vitamin B12 absorption.

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