This study investigated the effects of dietary phyate reduction on the apparent absorption and biochemical parameters of iron status in young Korean women. Fourteen healthy, young women consumed low and high phytate diets for ten days of each experimental period. Duplicate diet samples, a fasting blood sample on day 9, and complete fecal samples for five consecutive days starting from day 5 of each diet period were collected. The iron content of diet and fecal samples were analyzed to calculate apparent absorption. Serum samples were analyzed for iron, ferritin, transferrin receptor and TIBC; transferrin saturation was also calculated. The apparent absorption of iron tended to increase in the low phytate period (32.51%) compared to the high phytate period (17.91%), but the difference was not significant (p=0.06). Serum ferritin decreased and serum transferrin receptor increased significantly during the low phytate diet although the mean values were within the normal range. Serum iron and transferrin saturation did not change significantly. In conclusion, the results indicated that reducing dietary phytate for ten days negatively affected iron nutritional parameters, but it moderately and positively affected apparent iron absorption in young Korean women. Further research on the long-term effects of a low phytate diet with an adequate iron content for vows Korean women is necessary.