The necessity for iron lies in its primary function; the formation of healthy red blood cells for the proper transport and storage of oxygen in our body. Once we breathe it in, oxygen travels from our lungs to the rest of our body via two proteins found in our blood; haemoglobin and myoglobin. Haemoglobin delivers oxygen to most of our cells, while myoglobin transports oxygen to working muscles as they need it. Both of these proteins travel in our blood stream, and both need iron for their proper development and efficient functioning.

As well as red blood cell formation and oxygen transport, iron also forms a part of many enzymes in our body. Some of these enzymes are involved with energy metabolism, some have antioxidant powers, others form part of our immune system, and there’s a handful involved with healing, growth and reproduction. Iron is needed for many processes in our body.

Iron deficiency is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. If we deprive our body of adequate iron for too long, then here’s what happens. Our body will start to tap into its iron stores. A healthy and well nourished body has adequate iron stores to provide us with what we need for a short amount of time. So at this stage, no real signs or symptoms show; what we lack in our diet, our body takes from its stores. These irons stores are found in many organs, but the liver is the primary one.

A continued low intake or poor absorption of iron, will eventually deplete these iron stores and progress to an early iron deficiency. This starts to effect the formation and efficiency of our red blood cells.

The next stage is iron deficiency anemia. Once our body arrives at this point, we have fewer, smaller and inefficient red blood cells. They carry much less hemoglobin, and therefore, oxygen around our body than is needed. This inevitably comes with consequences.

Exhausting iron supplies to this level is precisely that, exhausting. Symptoms of iron deficiency anemia include fatigue, pale skin, increased heart beat, and rapid breathing with minimal exercise. When we lack iron, oxygen transport around our body is reduced and this starves our cells of this vital requirement. Other symptoms of an iron deficiency include increased sensitivity to cold weather, brittle nails, a decrease in taste buds and a sore tongue.

Adequate oxygen transport is the reason why it’s important for athletes to get the iron they need. The more we exercise, the more oxygen that is needed to be pumped around our body. Intense athletes require more iron to enhance their performance, as well as maintain their body’s needs.

Any pregnant woman with an iron deficiency passes on the effects to her baby. This increases the chances of a low birth weight, a premature birth and even maternal mortality. Pregnant women always require increased nutrition to properly maintain themselves, as well as support the baby.

A low dietary intake is often the main cause of an iron deficiency, but poor iron absorption can also have an impact. This is influenced by the type of iron in our diet. There are two types or iron; heme and non-heme. Heme iron comes from red meat, fish, poultry and eggs, and non-heme comes from plant sources, dairy, and other food products fortified with iron. Heme iron is more readily absorbed by our body, whereas non-heme iron is harder to get to. So it’s not just the amount of iron in our diet, but also the quality of it.

There are also factors that can increase or inhibit iron absorption. Vitamin C substantially increases iron absorption, then there’s lactic acid found in yogurt and sauerkraut, and citric and tartaric acid both found in fruits, which also have the potential to increase iron absorption. Then there's the iron inhibitors. Phytic acid or phytate, found in legumes, grains and soy protein, can all inhibit iron absorption. These inhibitors are often found in larger amounts in vegetarian and vegan diets, and these diets are likely to have a lower iron intake to begin with. This lowered iron intake paired with a decreased absorption from dietary inhibitors, makes vegetarians and vegans more prone to an iron deficiency.

One last tip to help us get the most out of our iron is for any of us who take both calcium and iron supplements. Calcium can decrease the absorption of iron, so we need to take these two supplements at different times, or at least 3 hours apart. This also makes perfect sense as to why many of us have our yogurt or milk at breakfast and our meat for dinner.