{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,10,17]],"date-time":"2026-10-17T03:05:46Z","timestamp":1792206346472,"version":"4.4.0"},"reference-count":32,"publisher":"Springer Science and Business Media LLC","issue":"2","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,1]],"date-time":"2025-04-01T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743465600000},"content-version":"tdm","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"},{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]],"date-time":"2025-04-07T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1743984000000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":6,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["link.springer.com"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["CURR MED SCI"],"published-print":{"date-parts":[[2025,4]]},"abstract":"<jats:title>Abstract<\/jats:title>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Vitamin deficiencies, particularly in vitamins A, B12, and D, are prevalent across populations and contribute significantly to a range of health issues. While these deficiencies are well documented, the underlying etiology remains complex. Recent studies suggest a close link between the gut microbiota and the synthesis, absorption, and metabolism of these vitamins. However, the specific causal relationships between the gut microbiota composition and vitamin deficiencies remain poorly understood. Identifying key bacterial species and understanding their role in vitamin metabolism could provide critical insights for targeted interventions.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>We conducted a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) study to assess the causal relationship between the gut microbiota and vitamin deficiencies (A, B12, D). The genome-wide association study data for vitamin deficiencies were sourced from the FinnGen biobank, and the gut microbiota data were from the MiBioGen consortium. MR analyses included inverse variance-weighted (IVW), MR\u2012Egger, weighted median, and weighted mode approaches. Sensitivity analyses and reverse causality assessments were performed to ensure robustness and validate the findings.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>After FDR adjustment, vitamin B12 deficiency was associated with the class Verrucomicrobiae, order Verrucomicrobiales, family <jats:italic>Verrucomicrobiaceae<\/jats:italic>, and genus <jats:italic>Akkermansia<\/jats:italic>. Vitamin A deficiency was associated with the phylum Firmicutes and the genera <jats:italic>Fusicatenibacter<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Ruminiclostridium 6<\/jats:italic>. Additional associations for vitamin B12 deficiency included the <jats:italic>Enterobacteriaceae<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Rhodospirillaceae<\/jats:italic> and the genera <jats:italic>Coprococcus 2<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Lactococcus<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Ruminococcaceae UCG002<\/jats:italic>. Vitamin D deficiency was associated with the genera <jats:italic>Allisonella<\/jats:italic>, <jats:italic>Eubacterium<\/jats:italic>, and <jats:italic>Tyzzerella 3<\/jats:italic>. <jats:italic>Lachnospiraceae<\/jats:italic> and <jats:italic>Lactococcus<\/jats:italic> were common risk factors for both B12 and D deficiency. Sensitivity analyses confirmed the robustness of the findings against heterogeneity and horizontal pleiotropy, and reverse MR tests indicated no evidence of reverse causality.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>\n          <jats:sec>\n            <jats:title>Conclusions<\/jats:title>\n            <jats:p>Our findings reveal a possible causal relationship between specific gut microbiota characteristics and vitamin A, B12 and D deficiencies, providing a theoretical basis for addressing these nutritional deficiencies through the modulation of the gut microbiota in the future and laying the groundwork for related interventions.<\/jats:p>\n          <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.1007\/s11596-025-00038-y","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,8]],"date-time":"2025-04-08T08:38:26Z","timestamp":1744101506000},"page":"321-330","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1007\/springer_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":5,"title":["Causal Links Between Gut Microbiota and Vitamin Deficiencies: Evidence from Mendelian Randomization Analysis"],"prefix":"10.1007","volume":"45","author":[{"given":"Zi-xuan","family":"Hou","sequence":"first","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Wen-jing","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Rong","family":"Pi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Han-wen-xi","family":"Wang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Meng-na","family":"Dai","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Yan","family":"Ouyang","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-5771-9126","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Su-yun","family":"Li","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"297","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2025,4,7]]},"reference":[{"issue":"2","key":"38_CR1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"530","DOI":"10.1093\/advances\/nmab123","volume":"13","author":"HM Guetterman","year":"2022","unstructured":"Guetterman HM, Huey SL, Knight R, et al. 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This encompasses employment, consultancy, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants, patents received or pending, or royalties.","order":2,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Conflict of Interest"}},{"value":"In accordance with the prevailing legislation and institutional requirements, the study on human participants was exempt from the necessity of ethical review and approval. Furthermore, the design of this study does not necessitate the obtaining of written informed consent for participation, in accordance with the pertinent national legislation and institutional requirements. The individuals involved in this research did not provide written informed consent for the publication of any data or images that could be used to identify them.","order":3,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Human Ethics"}},{"value":"This study employed publicly accessible de-identified data from participant studies that had previously been approved by an ethical standards committee. Consequently, no further ethical approval was required for this study, and informed consent was waived.","order":4,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Ethical Approval and Consent to Participate"}},{"value":"The work described has not been published before and is not under consideration for publication elsewhere. The publication has been approved by all co-authors.","order":5,"name":"Ethics","group":{"name":"EthicsHeading","label":"Consent for Publication"}}]}}