Description

If you do not absorb iron each day, your body’s iron stores gradually run down. As your stores are used up, you become iron deficient.

Over a long time, if iron deficiency is not corrected, you will develop iron deficiency anaemia, a serious condition where red blood cell production falls and therefore decreases oxygen transport throughout the body.

Iron deficiency develops gradually and without any obvious symptoms until anaemia develops. It is easy to mistake signs of iron deficiency with being generally run-down.

Iron deficiency can cause:

• decreased memory, impaired learning and concentration
• impaired immune function
• decreased aerobic sports performance
• fatigue
• adverse pregnancy outcomes: risk of premature delivery and low birth weight baby
• infant motor and mental function delay which can last into young adulthood
• anaemia