Inulin Aids Iron Absorption

According to recent research conducted by researchers from USDAs Agricultural Research Service, inulin might help people absorb more iron from their food. The results of this research were reported in the Jan. 2008 issue of Agricultural Research.

Researchers from the U.S. Plant, Soil, and Nutrition Laboratory, and Cornell University showed that young pigs fed corn- and soy-based diets supplemented with inulin absorbed more iron from their feed than pigs fed the same diet without inulin.

Without inulin, the colon absorbs very little iron from staple plant-based foods such as soybeans and corn because they contain high amounts of phytic acid that inhibit iron absorption, said Ross Welch, plant physiologist, Agricultural Research Service. He notes that young pigs were used in the study due to the fact that theyre an excellent model for studying human iron nutrition. Their gastrointestinal tract anatomy and digestive physiology are very similar to those in humans.

The AR article notes that future studies will focus on breeding staple food crops with enhanced inulin levels.