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Iron Deficiency

According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide.

With as many as 80% of the world's population iron deficient, while 30% may have iron deficiency anaemia. It is not only widespread in children and women in developing countries but it is the only nutrient deficiency which remains prevalent in almost all industrialised nations.

Iron deficiency is common in Australia. Depletion of iron stores and iron deficiency occur in all age groups, particularly in groups of the population such as children, women after the onset of menstruation, elderly people, vegetarians (especially vegans), and in disadvantaged populations such as Indigenous Australians, refugees, recent migrants and institutionalised people. Iron deficiency and anaemia are not synonymous terms. Iron deficiency is only one cause of anaemia, and in the early stages of iron deficiency, anaemia is not present.

Iron is an important component of haemoglobin, myoglobin and many other enzymes essential to aerobic cellular metabolism. Almost two thirds of the body's iron is found in haemoglobin in circulating erythrocytes and another quarter in readily metabolised stores as ferritin or haemosiderin in the liver and reticulo-endothelial system. The remaining iron is in the myoglobin of muscle tissue and a variety of enzymes necessary for oxidative metabolism and other cell functions.

Iron deficiency develops gradually and is generally minimally symptomatic until anaemia develops. Deficiency results when iron requirements are not met by iron absorption from the diet.

The three common situations leading to this imbalance are:

• excess iron loss (bleeding)
• inadequate dietary iron intake
• malabsorption of iron due to disease of the small intestine.