Iron and Methane
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Investigating the effects of iron supplementation on the gastrointestinal tract.
IRAS ID
251209
Contact name
Sarah Smith
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Functional Gut Clinic
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 5 months, 1 days
Research summary
Constipation is a common side effect of taking oral iron medication, however the mechanism behind this is currently poorly understood. Gut microflora are becoming increasingly implicated in gastrointestinal function. A group of microbes that are commonly found in the gut are Archaea which produce the gas methane. Excessive methane production due to an abundance of these Archaea has been associated with constipation. Research suggests these Archaea may utilise iron in the production of methane. This study tests the hypothesis that the methane produced by the metabolism of iron by the microbiota (archaea) is the mechanism by which iron supplements cause constipation.
REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/SC/0471
Date of REC Opinion
25 Oct 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion