ReviewAdvances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.)2022
The Effect of Prebiotics on Human Iron Absorption: A Review.
Review in Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.), 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 28 citations in OpenAlex.
- Efficacy of probiotic, prebiotic, and synbiotics supplements in individuals with anemia: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.BMC gastroenterology · 2024Pooled it
- Prebiotics increase iron absorption and reduce the adverse effects of iron on the gut microbiome and inflammation: a randomized controlled trial using iron stable isotopes in Kenyan infants.The American journal of clinical nutrition · 2024Trial
- The Gut-Iron-Immune Axis in Severe Anaemia and Bacteraemia.Nutrients · 2026Review
- Lentil-Derived Bioactives for Gastrointestinal Health: Potential Complementary Interactions Among Peptides, Resistant Starch, and Polyphenols.Nutrients · 2026Review
- A Combination of Inulin and Long-Chain Fructooligosaccharides EnhancesJournal of agricultural and food chemistry · 2026Article
- Multidimensional iron dysmetabolism and gut-brain axis interactions in restless legs syndrome: from peripheral deficiency to central dysregulation.Frontiers in aging neuroscience · 2026Review
- Iron Deficiency and Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Comprehensive Overview of Established and Emerging Concepts.Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Gut Microbiota and Their Metabolites: The Hidden Driver of Diabetic Nephropathy? Unveiling Gut Microbe's Role in DN.Journal of diabetes · 2025Review
- Anemia: Etiology, Pathophysiology, Impact, and Prevention: A Review.Iranian journal of public health · 2025Review
- Potential application of pig (Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Article
- Role of gut microbiota in thalassemia: a review of therapeutic prospects.Frontiers in physiology · 2025Review
- Nutritional Support: The Use of Antioxidants in Inflammatory Bowel Disease.International journal of molecular sciences · 2024Review
- Iron Fortification and Inulin Supplementation in Early Infancy: Evaluating the Impact on Iron Metabolism and Trace Mineral Status in a Piglet Model.Current developments in nutrition · 2024Article
- Impact of Dietary Fiber on Inflammation and Insulin Resistance in Older Patients: A Narrative Review.Nutrients · 2023Review
- Fecal Iron Measurement in Studies of the Human Intestinal Microbiome.Current developments in nutrition · 2022Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Iron deficiency remains the most common nutritional deficiency. Oral iron supplementation is the recommended first-line treatment and used as a preventive measure as well. Enhancers of iron absorption are highly sought after to improve supplementation outcomes. Evidence from animal and human studies exists that prebiotics can enhance iron absorption. The purpose of this present narrative review of the literature is to summarize the existing evidence on the effects of prebiotics on human iron absorption. Relevant articles were identified from PUBMED, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception to November 2021. Only human trials investigating the effect of prebiotics on iron absorption were included. Eleven articles were identified and included for review. There are promising findings supporting an enhancing effect of certain prebiotics, but inconsistencies between the studies and results exist. The most convincing evidence exists for the prebiotics galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides combined with the commonly used iron compound ferrous fumarate, from studies in adult women with low iron stores and in anemic infants. Many factors seem to play a role in the enhancing effect of prebiotics on iron absorption such as type of prebiotic, dose, acute (single-dose) or chronic (long-term) prebiotic consumption, iron compound, iron status, inflammatory status, and age of the population studied. More research investigating the optimal combination of prebiotic, iron compound, and dose as well as the effect of long-term application on iron status outcomes is needed.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.