It’s not just menstruation that puts people at risk for iron deficiency. Eating plant-based diets, while good for human and planetary health, can make it harder to get enough iron, largely because we absorb iron more easily from meat than from plants.
In a review of studies on iron depletion that included vegetarians and nonvegetarians, authors found that up to 79 percent of the vegetarian women were deficient in iron; up to 29 percent of the vegetarian men had low levels.
In a review of studies on iron depletion that included vegetarians and nonvegetarians, authors found that up to 79 percent of the vegetarian women were deficient in iron; up to 29 percent of the vegetarian men had low levels.
Vegetarians and vegans can maintain healthy iron levels through diet, says Gregory Plotnikoff, MD, MTS, FACP, a functional-medicine practitioner in Minneapolis. “One doesn’t have to have meat to get iron,” he says, though it may require a more conscious effort.
He tests iron levels in most of his patients who eat plant-based diets, especially if they’ve complained about fatigue or restless legs.
Munro says endurance athletes, another health-conscious group, should also check their iron levels. “Sweat is actually a way people lose iron,” he explains, citing studies of distance athletes who became iron deficient during training. One study, for example, found that more than 30 percent of the female runners surveyed prior to and at the 2015 London marathon reported a history of anemia.
Frequent blood donors are another group at increased risk for iron deficiency, with up to 35 percent of repeat donors becoming iron depleted.
Still, the largest group of Americans at risk for iron deficiency — besides those who menstruate — are people taking acid-blocking medications for heartburn, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or indigestion. These drugs reduce the body’s ability to absorb iron, explains Ashe. (To learn more about how your body absorbs nutrients and how to maximize this process, visit “How Does the Body Absorb Nutrients?“)
Everything You Need to Know About Iron
Iron is an essential mineral — yet too many of us aren’t getting enough. Learn how to check your iron levels, as well as how to boost them, at “Everything You Need to Know About Iron,” from which this article was excerpted.
