15 signs you are iron deficient

Iron is very important in maintaining many body functions, including the production of hemoglobin, the molecule in your blood that carries oxygen.

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Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy cells, skin, hair, and nails.

Iron from the food you eat is absorbed into the body by the cells that line the gastrointestinal tract; the body only absorbs a small fraction of the iron you ingest.

The iron is then released into the blood stream, where a protein called transferrin attaches to it and delivers the iron to the liver. Iron is stored in the liver as ferritin and released as needed to make new red blood cells in the bone marrow.

When red blood cells are no longer able to function (after about 120 days in circulation), they are re-absorbed by the spleen. Iron from these old cells can also be recycled by the body. 

Am I at Risk?

Iron deficiency is very common, especially among women and in people who have a diet that is low in iron.

The following groups of people are at highest risk for iron-deficiency anemia:

• Women who menstruate, particularly if men
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