Evidence mapPaperPMID 42298087Full record

Trial reportEuropean journal of clinical nutrition2026

Effect of combined probiotic and iron-folic acid supplementation on iron status and gut inflammation markers: a randomized controlled trial among anaemic children.

Ravindranadh Palika, Haswanth Seeli, Santosh Kumar Banjara, Sai Ram Challa, Raghu Pullakhandam, Bharati Kulkarni, Teena Dasi

Abstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in European journal of clinical nutrition, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Ravindranadh PalikaICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Haswanth SeeliICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Santosh Kumar BanjaraICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0893-9552
Sai Ram ChallaICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-3177-8133
Raghu PullakhandamICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Bharati KulkarniICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India.
Teena DasiICMR-National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad, Telangana, India. teenarajeev@rediffmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9115-7414

Funding

Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) F.N. 5/9/1404/2022-Nut
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundIron supplementation can negatively affect gut health, while probiotics may improve intestinal iron absorption and gut health. Therefore, combined supplementation of iron and probiotics could be beneficial.

methodsA placebo-controlled randomised controlled trial was conducted among 248 anaemic (Hb 7-10.9 g/dL) children under 5 years of age. Participants were randomly assigned to receive intervention either with Iron-Folic acid (IFA) syrup (3 mg elemental iron/kg body weight/day) along with probiotic (Lactobacillus plantarum UBLP40, 10

resultsAt the end of the intervention, mean haemoglobin significantly increased from baseline in both groups (intervention: n = 79, 1.96 ± 1.35 g/dL vs. control: n = 86, 1.91 ± 1.36 g/dL, p < 0.001, paired t-test for within-group comparisons). The prevalence of anaemia reduced by (77.4% vs. 79.8%), iron deficiency (98.0% vs. 94.8%) and iron deficiency anaemia (100%) in intervention and control groups, respectively. No significant between-group differences were observed in haemoglobin, anaemia prevalence, iron status, morbidity, or gut health. In multiple regression analysis, rise in haemoglobin was associated with baseline haemoglobin, but not with probiotic use.

conclusionsProbiotic supplementation alongside IFA provided no additional benefits on iron status, adverse effects or gut health markers among anaemic Indian children. The absence of a placebo-only group, due to ethical considerations, limited the ability to isolate the net effect of the intervention.

Indexed as

Anemia, Iron-DeficiencyDietary SupplementsFolic AcidIronProbioticsBiomarkersChild, PreschoolDouble-Blind MethodFemaleHemoglobinsHumansInfantInflammationLactiplantibacillus plantarumMaleNutritional StatusBiomarkersFolic AcidHemoglobinsIron

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.