Heme and Non-heme Iron Intakes, Gut Microbiota, and Influence on Host Iron Absorption
Cornell University
Summary
The FeMicrobiome study will evaluate gut microbiome features and their relationships with dietary iron absorption in healthy adults. The investigators hypothesize that (1) the gut microbiota can be shaped by the heme and non-heme Fe content of the diet and that (2) this will influence individual variation in dietary Fe absorption.
Description
Iron is an essential micronutrient ingested as either heme iron (from animal products) or non-heme iron (from both plant and animal sources). Humans have no regulatable means of eliminating absorbed iron, necessitating tight control of dietary iron absorption. Likewise, native microbes have evolved efficient iron sensing and utilization pathways to scavenge iron from the gastrointestinal environment, resulting in a competition for iron between the host and their microbiota. As growing numbers of Americans adopt plant-based diets, heme iron intakes are markedly reduced. This may shift the gut m…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–40 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: * Healthy adults * Age between 18- 40y * Non-smoking * Not currently taking vitamin, mineral, prebiotic, and probiotic supplements. * Females: premenopausal and not pregnant or lactating * No preexisting medical complications (such as eating disorders, hemoglobinopathies, malabsorption diseases, steroid use, substance abuse history, or taking medications known to influence iron homeostasis) * Body mass index (BMI) between 18 - 27 kg/m2. Exclusion Criteria: * BMI \<18 or \> 27 kg/m2, * Age \<18 y or \> 40y, * Smoking * Pregnancy, lactating * Have gastrointestinal disorder…
Location
- Cornell UniversityIthaca, New York