Whatisironandwhydoweneedit?

　　Ironisamineralneededbyourbodies.Ironisapartofallcellsanddoesmanythingsinourbodies.Forexample,iron(aspartoftheproteinhemoglobin)carriesoxygenfromourlungsthroughoutourbodies.Havingtoolittlehemoglobiniscalledanemia.Ironalsohelpsourmusclesstoreanduseoxygen.

　　Ironisapartofmanyenzymesandisusedinmanycellfunctions.Enzymeshelpourbodiesdigestfoodsandalsohelpwithmanyotherimportantreactionsthatoccurwithinourbodies.Whenourbodiesdon'thaveenoughiron,manypartsofourbodiesareaffected.

　　Whatisirondeficiencyandwhyisitaconcern?

　　Irondeficiencyisaconditionresultingfromtoolittleironinthebody.IrondeficiencyisthemostcommonnutritionaldeficiencyandtheleadingcauseofanemiaintheUnitedStates.1

　　Thetermsanemia,irondeficiency,andirondeficiencyanemiaoftenareusedinterchangeablybutequivalent.Irondeficiencyrangesfromdepletedironstoreswithoutfunctionalorhealthimpairmenttoirondeficiencywithanemia,whichaffectsthefunctioningofseveralorgansystems.2

　　Irondeficiencyisaconcernbecauseitcan:

　　Irondeficiencycandelaynormalinfantmotorfunction(normalactivityandmovement)ormentalfunction(normalthinkingandprocessingskills).3-6

　　Irondeficiencyanemiaduringpregnancycanincreaseriskforsmallorearly(preterm)babies.7-8Smallorearlybabiesaremorelikelytohavehealthproblemsordieinthefirstyearoflifethaninfantswhoarebornfulltermandarenotsmall.

　　Irondeficiencycancausefatiguethatimpairstheabilitytodophysicalworkinadults.9-10Irondeficiencymayalsoaffectmemoryorothermentalfunctioninteens.11

　　backtotop

　　Whatcausesirondeficiency?

　　Irondeficiencyhasmanycauses.(Seetablebelowforasummary).Thesecausesfallintotwomaincategories:

　　1.Increasedironneeds

　　Manycommonconditionscancausepeopletoneedadditionaliron:

　　Becauseoftheirrapidgrowth,infantsandtoddlersneedmoreironthanolderchildren.Sometimesitcanbehardforthemtogetenoughironfromtheirnormaldiet.

　　Womenwhoarepregnanthavehigherironneeds.Togetenough,mostwomenmusttakeanironsupplementasrecommendedbytheirhealthcareprovider.

　　Whenpeopleloseblood,theyalsoloseiron.Theyneedextrairontoreplacewhattheyhavelost.Increasedbloodlosscanoccurwithheavymenstrualperiods,frequentblooddonation,aswellaswithsomestomachandintestinalconditions(foodsensitivity,hookworms.)

　　2.Decreasedironintakeorabsorption(notenoughirontakenintothebody)

　　Theamountofironabsorbedfromthedietdependsonmanyfactors:

　　Ironfrommeat,poultry,andfish(i.e.,hemeiron)isabsorbedtwotothreetimesmoreefficientlythanironfromplants(i.e.,non-hemeiron).

　　Theamountofironabsorbedfromplantfoods(non-hemeiron)dependsontheothertypesoffoodseatenatthesamemeal.

　　Foodscontaininghemeiron(meat,poultry,andfish)enhanceironabsorptionfromfoodsthatcontainnon-hemeiron(e.g.,fortifiedcereals,somebeans,andspinach).

　　FoodscontainingvitaminC(seeDietarySourcesofvitaminC)alsoenhancenon-hemeironabsorptionwheneatenatthesamemeal.

　　Substances(suchaspolyphen