Study: 1 in 3 Americans found to be iron deficient

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) - New research published in JAMA Network Open shows nearly 1 in 3 Americans are iron deficient.

Iron deficiency in the body can present itself in a list of ways.

“Unexplained fatigue, malaise, feeling unwell. Potentially dizziness, feeling lightheaded,” explains Dr. Cyrus Hajiran with Valley Health.

Hajiran says iron is an essential nutrient that plays a wide range of roles in the human body.

“Iron is used as a building block for protein in your red blood cells that helps carry oxygen to all the tissues in your body,” he said.

A new study published by researchers in JAMA network open shows nearly 1 in 3 Americans are iron deficient. This can be linked to impaired brain function, heart failure and restless leg syndrome.

“It’s incredibly important,” Hajiran said.

Iron deficiency can be tough to catch because the symptoms can be tough because the symptoms are broad and testing for it is not standard practice.

“With the obesity epidemic in the United States, there is a hypothesis that this increases some hormones in the body that act as inflammatory mediators, and it’s interfering with the iron metabolizers,” Hajiran said.

Your doctor can tell you if you need more iron, but diet can help you boost your levels.

“Lean proteins like meat, chicken, poultry, seafood, green leafy vegetables,” Hajiran said.

While iron is necessary for good health, excessive iron can cause its own problems, so you should talk to a doctor before starting any supplements.

Researchers found that the majority of people with iron deficiency are not taking any iron supplements.

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