biostudies-literatureUnknown11(3)Finlayson-Trick EMichael Smith Health Research BCGouvernement du Canada | Canadian Institutes of Health ResearchCIHRAssociation of Medical Microbiology and Infectious Disease CanadaCanada Research ChairsThe World Health Organization recommends untargeted iron supplementation for women of reproductive age (WRA) in countries where anemia prevalence is greater than 40%, such as Cambodia. Iron supplements, however, often have poor bioavailability, so the majority remains unabsorbed in the colon. The gut houses many iron-dependent bacterial enteropathogens; thus, providing iron to individuals may be more harmful than helpful. We examined the effects of two oral iron supplements with differing bioavailability on the gut microbiomes in Cambodian WRA. This study is a secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of oral iron supplementation in Cambodian WRA. For 12 weeks, participants received ferrous sulfate, ferrous bisglycinate, or placebo. Participants provided stool samplMicrobiology spectrume0527322https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC10269596biostudies-literatureThe Effect of Oral Iron Supplementation on Gut Microbial Composition: a Secondary Analysis of a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial among Cambodian Women of Reproductive Age.PMC10269596Karakochuk CDGoldfarb DMFinlayson-Trick ENearing JWang SKrouen HFischer JAMa YfalseThe Effect of Oral Iron Supplementation on Gut Microbial Composition: a Secondary Analysis of a Double-Blind, Randomized Controlled Trial among Cambodian Women of Reproductive Age.The World Health Organization recommends untargeted iron supplementation for women of reproductive age (WRA) in countries where anemia prevalence is greater than 40%, such as Cambodia. Iron supplements, however, often have poor bioavailability, so the majority remains unabsorbed in the colon. The gut houses many iron-dependent bacterial enteropathogens; thus, providing iron to individuals may be more harmful than helpful. We examined the effects of two oral iron supplements with differing bioavailability on the gut microbiomes in Cambodian WRA. This study is a secondary analysis of a double-blind, randomized controlled trial of oral iron supplementation in Cambodian WRA. For 12 weeks, participants received ferrous sulfate, ferrous bisglycinate, or placebo. Participants provided stool sampl2023-01-01T00:00:00Z2023 Jun2026-07-14T21:57:25.181Z2025-04-06T17:05:15.086ZS-EPMC102695963719960810.1128/spectrum.05273-22