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Iron Deficiency
Insufficient iron stores to support normal red blood cell production, the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide.
Also: IDA, Iron-Deficiency Anemia
Progresses through three stages: storage iron depletion (low ferritin), iron-deficient erythropoiesis, and iron-deficiency anemia (low hemoglobin). Causes include inadequate intake, malabsorption (celiac, post-bariatric), chronic blood loss (menstruation, GI bleeding), and increased demand (pregnancy, growth). Heme iron from animal foods is more bioavailable than non-heme iron from plant foods; vitamin C improves non-heme absorption while tannins and calcium inhibit it.
How one textbook covers it
Krause and Mahan's Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 16th ed. — Chapter 32
Progresses through three stages: storage iron depletion (low ferritin), iron-deficient erythropoiesis, and iron-deficiency anemia (low hemoglobin). Causes include inadequate intake, malabsorption (celiac, post-bariatric), chronic blood loss (menstruation, GI bleeding), and increased demand (pregnancy, growth). Heme iron from animal foods is more bioavailable than non-heme iron from plant foods; vitamin C improves non-heme absorption while tannins and calcium inhibit it.
Related terms
Anemia, Ferritin, Heme Iron