Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) and iron absorption

What 2 graded rows on galactooligosaccharides (gos) agree on for iron absorption, and where they differ. Counted side by side, never averaged.

Consensus finder Rows from the Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) page, reviewed Oct 21, 2026 How it decides

What the rows agree on

Each block and row is one graded row from the Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) page, with its PubMed record.

Supplement

Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) Choose another

2 rows · 64 people

They agree: both rows found an improvement.

No difference

Improved

Each block is one evidence row, sized by how many people it enrolled, with its grade inside.

From the rows

The best-graded row, grade C, is a PK study of 34 people (2019) and found an improvement.

The rows run from 30 to 34 people, published from 2019 to 2022: 2 single studies.

2 improved

Grade CIron absorption from an iron supplement · Improved
PK study · n 34 · 2019 · Iron-depleted young women (median ferritin 16.4 ug/L, ETH Zurich)
15 g GOS per test dose; about 15 g/day for 4 weeks · Single test meals before and after 4 weeks
GOS increased fractional iron absorption from ferrous fumarate by 61% in water (P < 0.001) and 28% with a meal (P = 0.002); 4 weeks of daily GOS did not add a further effect.
Row on the Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) page · PubMed 31004135 (opens PubMed)
Grade CIron absorption from a 100 mg iron tablet · Improved
Crossover RCT · n 30 · 2022 · Iron-depleted women (median ferritin 12.9 ug/L, ETH Zurich)
15 g GOS in a single dose · Single doses, crossover
Fractional iron absorption was 45% higher with GOS and 51% higher with FOS than control (P < 0.001); acacia gum had no effect (P = 0.688). Median total iron absorbed: 34.6 mg with GOS vs 23.9 mg control.
Row on the Galactooligosaccharides (GOS) page · PubMed 35015879 (opens PubMed)