The Role of the Microbiome in Iron Deficiency

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutritional concerns in women’s health, particularly during the reproductive years, pregnancy, and for those following plant-based diets. Yet increasing iron levels is often less about increasing intake and more about ensuring the iron consumed is actually absorbed. Join Activated Probiotics to explore how the gut microbiota influences the absorption of both dietary and supplemental iron.

Dietitians and health professionals play a key role in identifying and managing iron deficiency. This session begins with the fundamentals of probiotics and why their effects are strain-specific, then reviews the physiology of non-heme iron absorption, the factors that can impair it, and the mechanisms and clinical evidence behind a probiotic strain studied for iron absorption. Practitioners will come away with practical, evidence-based considerations for supporting iron status in their clients.

You will learn about :

-Why probiotic effects are strain-specific: an introduction to probiotic fundamentals and why clinical outcomes depend on the specific strain studied.

-How non-heme iron is absorbed: a step-by-step review of non-heme iron absorption, from the conversion of ferric to ferrous iron and uptake via DMT1, to transport through ferroportin and regulation by hepcidin.

-What factors can impair iron absorption: a closer look at common contributors to poor absorption, including villous atrophy (e.g. celiac disease), reduced stomach acidity, gut dysbiosis, and inflammation-driven increases in hepcidin.

-How the gut microbiome can support iron absorption: a review of the mechanisms and human clinical trials behind Lactiplantibacillus plantarum 299v, including its effects on ferric iron reduction, mucosal health, and inflammation.

-How we can improve tolerance of iron supplementation: discussion of the gastrointestinal side effects that drive non-adherence to oral iron, along with practical strategies, key takeaways, and recommendations for healthcare practice.

This webinar is co-hosted with Biome Australia Limited.