Oxygen transport in haemoglobin/myoglobin plus energy and enzyme functions.
Switzerland: 16 mg/day for menstruating women, 11 mg/day after menopause and for men.
Haem iron: meat and seafood. Non-haem: legumes, tofu, seeds, whole grains and fortified foods; vitamin C improves absorption.
First depleted stores, later iron-deficiency anaemia with fatigue, breathlessness, palpitations, headache, pallor and reduced performance.
Untreated iron deficiency impairs performance, pregnancy and development; the cause of blood loss must be investigated.
Pallor, hair shedding and brittle or spoon-shaped nails can occur but are not diagnostic.
Menstruation, pregnancy, blood donation/loss, endurance sport, gastrointestinal disease and poorly planned plant-based diets.
Full blood count, ferritin and inflammatory status; always seek the cause rather than only giving iron.
Only for proven deficiency or a clear medical indication; define dose, duration and monitoring.
Excess iron can cause gastrointestinal symptoms and organ injury; especially dangerous in haemochromatosis.