A lactic acid-fermented oat gruel increases non-haem iron absorption from a phytate-rich meal in healthy women of childbearing age.
Level 2 - randomized trial
Individual randomized crossover trial in humans
PubMed 16869994 · doi:10.1079/bjn20061683
What was done
In a crossover trial, 24 healthy women (mean age 25 ± 4 years) consumed four different test meals based on oat gruels extrinsically labelled with 55Fe or 59Fe over consecutive 4-day sequences (e.g., ABBA/BAAB then CDDC/DCCD). The test gruels were: (A) fermented with live Lactobacillus plantarum 299v, (B) pasteurized fermented gruel, (C) pH-adjusted non-fermented gruel, and (D) non-fermented gruel with added organic acids. Non-haem iron absorption was determined from isotope activity in blood samples.
What was found
Gruel fermented with live L. plantarum 299v significantly increased iron absorption compared with pasteurized and non-fermented gruels (P < 0.0001). While lactic acid concentration in the live fermented gruel was 19% higher than in the pasteurized version, iron absorption increased by 50%. In the non-fermented gruel with organic acids, lactic acid concentration was 52% lower than in pasteurized gruel, with no difference in iron absorption.
Why it matters
This indicates that live L. plantarum 299v enhances non-haem iron bioavailability from high-phytate meals through actions specific to the live bacteria, rather than solely via organic acid content or lowered pH.
Limits
The study had a small sample size (n = 24) and was conducted exclusively in young, healthy women. It evaluated acute single-meal isotopic iron absorption rather than long-term clinical iron status or hemoglobin levels.
Cited by
- supports Lactobacillus plantarum 299v enhances the body's absorption of non-heme iron.