TABLE 2.

Fractional iron absorption (%) from a wheat-based instant cereal containing 3.6 mg iron as ferrous fumarate without and with 2 doses of prebiotics (3.0 or 7.5 g of galacto-oligosaccharides and fructo-oligosaccharides, ratio 9:1), before and after 3 wk of daily consumption of the cereal containing the prebiotics^∗.

	Test meal	Pooled prebiotic doses	3.0 g Prebiotics	7.5 g Prebiotics
Iron absorption before 3-wk prebiotic intervention, %	Without prebiotic	16.3 (8.0–27.6) (n = 54)	13.4 (6.1–26.8) (n = 28)	18.6 (11.7–28.7) (n = 25)
	With prebiotic	20.5 (10.4–33.4)1 (n = 53)	17.6 (6.9–31.4) (n = 28)	25.8 (14.2–35.6)2 (n = 25)
Iron absorption after 3-wk prebiotic intervention, %	Without prebiotic	22.9 (8.5–32.4)3 (n = 53)	20.5 (9.5–33.1)4 (n = 28)	23.9 (14.0–38.1)4 (n = 25)
	With prebiotic	26.0 (12.2–36.1)2 (n = 53)	25.7 (7.6–31.4) (n = 28)	29.4 (9.3–33.4) (n = 25)

The pooled doses were compared by paired sample t tests, with Bonferroni adjustment. The data by dose was compared by linear mixed-effect models.

^∗Values are given as median (25th–75th percentiles).

¹P < 0.001; compared with the test meal without prebiotic before intervention.

²P < 0.01; compared with the test meal without prebiotic before intervention.

³P < 0.005; compared with the test meal without prebiotic before intervention.

⁴P < 0.05; compared with the test meal without prebiotic before intervention.