According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is the number one nutritional disorder in the world – as much as eighty percent of the world population may be iron deficient. As many as thirty percent of the world population may have anemia resulting from iron deficiency.

Iron deficiency usually develops gradually. This begins in the body with a negative iron balance – when your iron intake is not the body’s daily requirement of iron. At first, your body stores of iron are depleted, but the level of hemoglobin in their blood stays there. Anemia develops when the body’s iron stores and iron levels in blood are both weak.

Who is at greater risk for iron deficiency?

Women of childbearing age and pregnant women Preterm children of low birth weight children Teens Older Women and children who are individuals of very heavy menstrual periods with kidney failure, especially those on dialysis Individuals gastrointestinal disorders (such as celiac disease and Crohn’s disease) that can inhibit iron absorption.

Adult men and postmenopausal women are at low risk to develop iron deficiency.

Pregnant women need about twice as much iron as do non-pregnant women. Why? A pregnant woman has an increased blood volume and iron needs is her and her baby. With the expected blood loss during delivery, the additional iron is also helpful. The U.S. recommended daily allowance for iron for pregnant women is 27 milligrams per day. According to reviews, more than half of all pregnant women becomes less than they need – about half what is recommended.

Signs of iron deficiency anemia include:

The feelings of fatigue and weakness Decreased performance at work or school slows cognitive development during childhood slows social development during childhood difficulty maintaining body temperature reduced immune system function (which may increase their chances of developing an infection) Inflammation of the tongue (known as glossitis)

A deficiency of vitamin A can cause apparent iron deficiency – Vitamin A helps mobilize iron from storage sites in the body. When you do not have enough vitamin A, your body is limited in its ability to use stored iron. It may seem that you have an iron deficiency, but lack of vitamin A is the real problem.

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