Iron deficiency: 4 answers to know
What are the symptoms? Insufficient iron in your body can leave you feeling tired, breathless and with difficulty concentrating. You may look pale and experience headaches, frequent infections or general irritability. Iron is needed in the body to make haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells and myoglobin in muscle cells, to transport oxygen to your tissues. Who is at risk? Women are more at risk than men of iron deficiency, as are vegetarians, vegans, teenagers and athletes. Surprisingly, an estimated 1 in 4 children under 3 years have low iron levels in NZ which, left untreated, can lead to growth problems, learning and behavioural difficulties. Most at risk in this group are children born prematurely or with a low...