All human, animal and plant life requires iron, and luckily, dietary iron is readily available in many of the foods we eat: chicken, spinach, peas, hamburgers, seafood, cereal and more. If iron is so abundant, why would someone need to take iron or increase the iron in his or her diet?
Balancing Your Iron Level
Your body has an impressive system in place to maintain the delicate balance that is your iron level – it stores up iron to use as needed. This is often referred to as your “iron stores.”
When your iron intake is low or you lose/use iron too rapidly, your iron stores can become depleted, a state which is called an iron deficiency. Symptoms of iron deficiency include fatigue, chills, paleness and low energy. Talk to your doctor if you think you may be iron deficient, as it may be a sign of a more serious condition.
The National Institute of Health identifies the following groups as people who may be at an increased risk for iron deficiency anemia:
- Active People
- Pregnant women
- Women
- Mature Adults
- Vegetarians
