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Iron Deficiency FAQ

 

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What causes iron deficiency?

 

iron-deficiency-in-pregnancyIron deficiency is the #1 nutrition deficiency in the world, and it is caused by low stores of iron in the body. The causes of iron deficiency are varied, but they fall into two main categories:

 

1)  The body has increased iron needs (i.e. during a pregnancy, the body needs a greater supply of iron)or

2)  The body is getting less iron or absorbing less iron than it needs (i.e. with a restricted diet, you might be eating less dietary iron than you used to).

 

Causes of iron deficiency include:

  • Lack of heme iron sources in diet (like a no-meat or no-fish vegetarian diet)
  • Blood loss (such as menstrual bleeding, frequent blood donation, or chronic blood loss)
  •  Kidney or bladder tumor
  • Colon polyp
  • Colorectal cancer

 

Also people with certain diseases, like Celiac Disease (gluten intolerance) or Crohn’s disease, may become deficient in iron.