Iron deficiency
Iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency worldwide, especially in girls and women. Typical signs: tiredness, paleness, hair loss.
Ausführlich erklärt
Iron is at the heart of the red blood pigment haemoglobin and carries oxygen to every cell – without enough of it, your whole body runs with the handbrake on. According to the WHO, iron deficiency is the most common nutrient deficiency in the world, and in Germany, too, it mainly affects girls going through puberty, women of childbearing age and people who eat very little.
The German Nutrition Society (DGE) recommends around 11 milligrams of iron a day for men and 16 milligrams for women before the menopause, because they lose iron through menstruation; teenagers in a growth spurt need a similar amount. If you cut calories, you automatically take in less iron – so when you're losing weight, it's worth focusing on iron-rich foods: red meat in moderation, pulses, oats, wholegrains, pumpkin seeds, spinach, sesame.
What matters is not just how much iron a food contains, but how much your body actually absorbs. The body absorbs 15 to 35% of the iron from meat (haem iron), but only 2 to 20% of the iron from plants. Vitamin C – from peppers, citrus fruit or broccoli – eaten with a meal significantly boosts absorption, while coffee, black and green tea, cocoa and large amounts of milk slow it down. The simple trick: drink tea and coffee an hour apart from your meals.
A deficiency develops gradually: first the stores run down (the ferritin level drops), then haemoglobin runs short (anaemia). Typical signs are tiredness, difficulty concentrating, paleness, hair loss, brittle nails, cracked corners of the mouth, sensitivity to cold and restless legs. In children, a deficiency can hold back learning and development – so if you suspect one, see your paediatrician.
Very important: never take iron supplements just on a hunch. Too much iron puts a strain on the liver and gut, and with the hereditary iron overload disorder haemochromatosis it can even be dangerous. A blood test that includes ferritin usually clarifies things within a few days – then, with your doctor's advice, you can top up your iron in a targeted way.