Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the United States. Iron deficiency is a condition resulting from having too little iron in the body.
Iron is an essential mineral and has a number of important functions. Iron helps our muscles store and use oxygen, and, as part of the protein hemoglobin, iron helps carry oxygen from our lungs to the rest of our bodies.
When we don’t have enough iron, these functions can become impaired. Anemia results when the body has too little hemoglobin, and physical symptoms of iron deficiency begin to appear.
Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia inhibit the body’s ability to efficiently carry oxygen throughout the body, which can manifest in the following symptoms:
There are a number of reasons for iron deficiency. Iron deficiency may be a sign of a more serious condition, however, simply not taking in enough dietary iron is a common reason. Other causes of iron deficiency include:
1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Nutrition for Everyone: Iron and Iron Deficiency. Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/everyone/basics/vitamins/iron.html. March 7, 2012.