IV iron replacement better for gut microbiota in inflammatory bowel disease

German research shows that the method of iron supplementation in patients with inflammatory bowel disease can alter their gut microbiota and that intravenous, as opposed to oral, supplementation is better for many. "Supplying iron either orally or intravenously has a very distinct effect on the intestinal microbiota," says lead author, Professor Dirk Haller, Chair of Nutrition and Immunology of the Technical University of Munich (TUM).