Insufficient iron intake and true iron deficiency are significantly more common in women than in men, so knowing the top signs of iron deficiency is important to ensure you’re getting enough of this crucial nutrient. According to Maciej Chichlowski, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition research at Shaklee, iron deficiency is most common among people with heavy periods, pregnant women, teenage girls, and people who follow a vegan or vegetarian diet (for these folks, filling their plates with iron-rich foods is especially important). You also have a higher risk if you frequently donate blood, do endurance sports, or have a GI condition that makes it harder to absorb nutrients, said Amy Davis, R.D.N., Live Conscious nutrition consultant.
Why is iron deficiency a problem? Per the National Institutes of Health (NIH), iron plays key roles in muscle and tissue development, brain and cell function, and metabolism—and that’s before even discussing its central role in the production of hemoglobin, the protein that transports oxygen throughout your body. “Iron is essential for life,” said Samantha Peterson, R.D., founder and CEO of Simply Wellness. “When iron is low, oxygen delivery slows down, and suddenly everything feels harder: Walking up stairs, focusing at work, staying in a good mood.” She likened iron deficiency to “running on low power.”
Meet the experts: Samantha Peterson, R.D., founder and CEO of Simply Wellness; Maciej Chichlowski, Ph.D., senior director of nutrition research at Shaklee; Amy Davis, R.D.N., Live Conscious nutrition consultant; Matt Landry, Ph.D., R.D.N., assistant professor at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health.
In severe cases, being low on iron may cause iron-deficiency anemia, which is the most common type of anemia. It occurs when your body doesn’t have enough iron to build your red blood cells properly, so they can’t carry enough oxygen, explained Matt Landry, Ph.D., R.D.N., assistant professor at UC Irvine Joe C. Wen School of Population & Public Health. This can make you feel tired, weak, and dizzy, and cause headaches, irregular heartbeat, or shortness of breath, per the NIH. “Imagine trying to run a marathon while breathing through a straw—that’s kind of what your body feels like during iron-deficiency anemia,” said Peterson.
But the symptoms don’t stop there. When your body is low on iron, it can cause a lot of strange symptoms that you might not think are connected to the nutrient. Here, experts share some of the lesser-known signs of iron deficiency you should know about.
Top signs of iron deficiency
Weird cravings
Severe iron deficiency can lead to pica, a condition where you want to eat things with no nutritional value. Both Peterson and Davis cite ice as a common craving. But people with pica might also crave dirt, clay, sand, and even hair, per the National Library of Medicine (NLM).
Brittle nails
Being low in iron is a reason your nails could be peeling, breaking, cracking, or just seeming generally weak and brittle. In some cases, iron deficiency can also cause spoon nails, a condition where your nails curve up on the sides like a spoon. “Our hair and nails have proteins that require iron,” Landry said. “Without enough iron, we might have brittle or spoon-shaped nails.”
Restless legs
One surprising symptom of iron deficiency? Restless legs syndrome (RLS), a condition where people feel an irresistible urge to move their legs, especially at night, said Peterson. Most of the time, scientists don’t know what causes the condition. But in some cases, anemia is to blame, per the NLM.
Hair loss
Iron deficiency may cause your hair follicles to receive less oxygen, which can result in hair thinning—or even falling out. “This happens because the body prioritizes vital functions, such as delivering oxygen to the heart and brain, over less critical areas, like the skin and hair,” Chichlowski explained.
Cold hands and feet
Struggling to keep your hands and feet warm? All four experts cite that as a sign of iron deficiency. When there’s only so much oxygen in your blood, your body has to be selective about where it goes. And it’s likely to prioritize essential organs, Chichlowski explained. This may leave you with cold hands and feet—or simply make you feel cold all the time.
Pale skin
Iron deficiency may turn your skin pale for the same reason it weakens your nails, thins your hair, and makes your hands and feet cold: Prioritizing blood flow to other places, Chichlowski said. Hemoglobin also gives blood its vibrant red color, per the NLM. So when you don’t get enough of it, your blood can become paler and make your skin look that way, too.
Swollen tongue
Iron-deficiency anemia may cause your tongue to become swollen, sore, and even smooth, per the American Society of Hematology (ASH). Why? When your body’s low on iron, it can’t transport oxygen everywhere it needs to. And research suggests that low iron can increase your risk for oral infections, which can cause symptoms like a smooth, swollen, or burning tongue, plus a higher likelihood of gingivitis, tooth decay, and oral lesions.
Brain fog
Iron deficiency doesn’t just make your body tired—it may also make your brain tired. “Your brain’s in a fog, and your muscles feel heavy,” Peterson explained. This may manifest in a few different ways. “Some people have dizzy spells when they stand up, get winded walking up stairs, or have trouble concentrating,” Landry said.
Irritability
Low iron can literally put you in a bad mood. “Iron is involved in neurotransmitter production, which affects mood and brain function,” Landry explained. This may make you feel cranky and irritable.
Trouble swallowing
Struggling to swallow? That may be a sign of iron deficiency, per the ASH. This could be because your tongue is swollen and sore, making it tough to chew, talk, or eat. But in rare cases, it could also be due to Plummer-Vinson syndrome—a condition linked to chronic, long-term iron-deficiency anemia where tissue grows on the esophagus and makes it hard to swallow, per the NLM.
Blue eyeballs
Research shows that in some cases, iron-deficiency anemia may make the whites of your eyes turn blue. That’s because iron helps your body create collagen, and the outer layer of your eye is made of collagen. Without iron, that outer layer becomes thinner and makes the whites of your eyes look blue.
Ear pounding
That persistent pounding or whooshing sound you keep hearing may not be in your imagination. Instead, it could be a sign of iron-deficiency anemia, per the ASH. When your body doesn’t produce enough oxygen-rich blood, your heart may pump harder to try to compensate for it. This increased blood flow may cause pulsatile tinnitus—a condition where you hear pounding or whooshing in your ears, per the Cleveland Clinic.
Read the full article here