05/16/2026
Studies are starting to find links between the gut microbiome and iron absorption... but both good and poor absorption.
Commensal bacteria help shift the iron-sensing capacity of enterocytes. Mouse studies show that low bacterial flora can lead to low ferritin levels, and increasing bacterial colonization increases ferritin levels.
We share our iron with our microbiome. In times of low iron intake, the microbiome can inhibit DMT1, thereby limiting human iron absorption and prioritizing its own metabolic needs.
Certain microbes are greedy and will block human iron absorption to feed their own needs, regardless of the iron in the diet. As they consume more iron, they increase in number and cause dysbiosis, which reduces iron absorption and dysbiosis patterns.
This is a catch-22: we want to give our patients iron for their iron deficiency, but in cases of microbiome dysbiosis, giving them high iron can worsen it by promoting the growth of pathogenic bacteria.
Research on the use of probiotics in iron deficiency in pregnancy in conjunction with iron supplementation is limited.
