The global challenge of iron deficiency – and why scientists can't agree if supplements are the answer

The global challenge of iron deficiency – and why scientists can't agree if supplements are the answer 6 days ago Share Save Amanda Ruggeri Share Save Getty Images A lack of this vital nutrient is one of the world's leading causes of disability – but exactly when it becomes a problem, and the best way to treat it, remains unclear. Iron deficiency, iron-deficiency anaemia, and anaemia Anaemia occurs when someone is not producing enough normal red blood cells or haemoglobin, the substance that carries oxygen around in your blood. "Iron deficiency can be considered a stage prior to anaemia," says clinical haemotologist Sant-Rayn Pasricha, the head of the Melbourne School of Population and Global Health who specialises in iron deficiency and related conditions. Getty Images Endurance athletes are more likely to have an iron deficiency According to some studies, the effects of iron-deficiency anaemia – particularly in children – can be long-lasting. Getty Images If an iron deficiency is making an adult feel unwell, iron supplements can help – but the story is less straightforward in children Many clinicians and researchers agree, however, that when someone has iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anaemia along with symptoms, supplementing can be one of the fastest ways to help them improve.