Iron deficiency

Iron deficiency is the most common type of nutritional deficiency. In the human body, iron is present in all cells and has several vital functions including carrying oxygen to the tissues from the lungs in the form of haemoglobin and as an integral part of enzyme reactions in various tissues. Too little iron can interfere with vital functions.

When the loss of iron is not sufficiently compensated for by adequate iron intake, a deficiency develops.  The direct consequence of iron deficiency is anaemia and the people that are most prone to developing this disease are children, and pre-menopausal women.  Anaemia is mostly caused by excessive external and internal bleeding or inadequate intake of dietary iron, especially in growing children.  There are no known genetic causes.

Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, pallor, irritability, weakness, pica, which is an eating disorder in which non-foods like paper are consumed.

Treating iron deficiency

Iron deficiency can be readily treated with iron supplements, for example in the form of ferrous sulfate, ferrous gluconate or amino acid chelate tablets.  Natural sources of dietary iron-rich include meat, legumes and dark-green leafy vegetables like spinach.