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Why iron deficiency is more common—and more serious—than you think

More than 2 billion people worldwide deal with some form of iron deficiency. Because the mineral is essential for several important biological functions, those with low levels of iron often report experiencing symptoms like tiredness, shortness of breath, dizziness, headaches, and even heart issues. It’s a phenomenon that can affect men and women of all ages, but certain populations, including pregnant women, are affected disproportionately. Without treatment, iron deficiency can easily slide into anemia, or a lack of healthy red blood cells. Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia—a lack of iron causes a lack of hemoglobin, which slows red blood cell production.

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 More Than a Third of Women Under 50 Are Iron-Deficient

The condition can cause fatigue and other symptoms but is rarely tested for. Here’s what to know. Despite persistent calls from experts and researchers, there are no recommendations in the U.S. to regularly screen for iron deficiency among adult women and it is therefore rarely a part of blood work in annual checkups. There are recommendations only for screening pregnant and nonpregnant women for anemia, a condition that can develop when iron deficiency is left untreated. That iron deficiency is often overlooked might come down to “the normalization of women’s disorders,” Dr. Munro said. The associated symptoms — like feeling faint, fatigued or irritable — are often seen as a part of life as a woman, he added.

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Are You Iron Deficient? 8 Things Women Should Know

Even if it doesn’t progress to anemia, low iron levels can impact your life. Two proteins in the blood are important in measuring whether a person has enough iron. One is ferritin, which is the storage protein of iron. A blood test can show whether a person’s ferritin level is low, indicating iron deficiency. "A person is considered iron deficient if their ferritin level is less than 30 ng/mL [nanograms per millimeter of blood]," Dr. Van Doren says. The other is hemoglobin, the iron-containing protein in red blood cells that delivers oxygen to the body’s tissues.

12 Signs That You Could Have an Iron Deficiency (And How to Feel Better)

“Iron deficiency can be particularly tricky to identify because its symptoms often overlap with those of other common conditions, nutritionist Riya Lakhani-Kanji tells Glamour UK. “Fatigue or shortness of breath can be easily brushed off as stress or a busy schedule, while mood changes and headaches could easily be mistaken for signs of dehydration or other nutritional deficiencies,” she notes. It’s only when the iron deficiency becomes more severe that those telltale symptoms, like a paler complexion and thinning hair, kick in.

A Social Entrepreneur's Tasty Solution To Iron Deficiency

Of course, there are iron supplements, but have you ever tried one? They taste awful, can give you a stomach ache, aren’t cheap and, in some cultures, there’s a bias against taking a pill unless you’re really sick.

Can a Pan Add Iron to Your Diet?

People with an iron deficiency shouldn’t rely on cooking in cast iron, says Sara Haas, a dietitian and spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, an organization of food and nutrition professionals. But it could be “a good way” to add iron—in addition to eating iron-rich foods— for anyone who is at risk for not getting enough, she says.

Exhausted? Irritable? It could be undiagnosed iron deficiency

Although estimates vary, some research suggests that about a third of women of reproductive age in the United States may not get enough iron, which helps support various functions in the body. But despite the high risks, iron deficiency isn’t routinely screened for during annual health examinations.

How to Know if You’re Iron-Deficient, and What to Do About It

Testing is fairly easy, and treatment can improve symptoms within months. Iron is an essential nutrient for many things our bodies do every day, and yet more than a third of adult women of reproductive age in the United States are deficient. Studies suggest that taking your iron supplement every other day is just as effective as and has fewer side effects than dosing more frequently.

Iron Deficiency Anemia: A Common and Curable Disease

Iron deficiency anemia arises when the balance of iron intake, iron stores, and the body's loss of iron are insufficient to fully support production of erythrocytes. Iron deficiency anemia rarely causes death, but the impact on human health is significant. In the developed world, this disease is easily identified and treated, but frequently overlooked by physicians. In contrast, it is a health problem that affects major portions of the population in underdeveloped countries.

Is Low Iron, Without Symptoms, a Problem?

You may be iron deficient without being anemic, but since your body needs iron to make the hemoglobin in red blood cells, anemia may be just down the road. “Most people who are losing enough iron to become deficient will continue to lose and become anemic,” said Dr. Berliner, who is also chief of hematology at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

I’ve been diagnosed with iron deficiency, now what?

Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the developed world, affecting around one in three women of reproductive age. Iron deficiency has several stages of severity and is diagnosed by a blood test showing the level of serum ferritin (a protein that stores iron in the body) and/or haemoglobin (a protein responsible for transporting oxygen in the blood). If serum ferritin falls below 30µg/L (micrograms per litre), then iron stores are depleted (stage one or iron depletion). At serum ferritin levels less than about 20µg/L, the tissues and cells are not receiving the iron they need to function correctly (stage two or latent iron deficiency).

Sleepy? Dizzy? Fuzzy? How to tell if an iron deficiency is to blame

Here’s why your iron levels should be front of mind.

The Best Iron-Rich Foods That Can Help Fight Fatigue and Boost Energy

It’s not all about beef—there are plenty of plant-based ways to boost your levels too.

This “Lucky” Fish Could Save Lives

A fish-shaped iron ingot is reducing the number of cases of iron deficiency anemia in Cambodia and beyond.

Why we should take a women-centred approach to diagnosing and treating iron deficiency

Iron deficiency is a common nutritional disorder worldwide, and pre-menopausal women are most at risk of being diagnosed with it. New Zealand’s most recent nutritional survey (from 2008/09) shows 12% of women may suffer from iron deficiency. But more recent research in New Zealand suggests up to 55% of women of a similar age but of various ethnicities (Caucasian, Middle Eastern and South Asian) present with depleted iron levels. This higher incidence of iron deficiency in women is often explained as a result of blood loss during menstruation. But my research, which analyses the iron status of athletic and active women, suggests female physiology has evolved to counter iron loss through complex interactions between female reproductive hormones and the hormone that influences iron regulation.

Resources

The Iron Clinic

The Iron Clinic specialises in the provision of intravenous iron infusions. The Iron Clinic was established in 2014 and specialise in iron deficiency and iron therapy with experience of over 5000 iron infusions. We routinely treat women and men with iron deficiency and provide a detailed review to ensure the underlying cause is investigated and managed with a clear treatment plan for patients that includes diet, options for tablets and iron infusions.