What is Iron Deficiency Anemia – Polyride Fe & Ultra Fe

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency worldwide. In Canada, it is estimated that around 5% of Canadians (8% of females) are iron deficient.1

Iron deficiency anemia comes from low levels of iron in the body. Without enough iron, the body cannot produce hemoglobin and as a result, iron deficiency anemia may cause symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath.2

Iron deficiency and iron deficiency anemia can be caused by low consumption, blood loss due to heavy menstrual bleeding, or an ulcer, as well as regular use of some over the counter pain relievers.1

Vegetarians need almost twice the daily recommended amount of iron compared with non-vegetarians.6

Iron is also essential for pregnant women to ensure normal fetal development.7

Normal

Why is iron important?²

Anemia

What is Iron Deficiency Anemia?³

Iron deficiency anemia is caused by a shortage of iron in the body.
The body requires iron to make hemoglobin. Without adequate iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin for red blood cells.
Without iron supplement, this type of anemia is common among pregnant women.
It can also be caused by blood loss due to heavy menstrual bleeding, an ulcer, lack of iron in diet and regular use of some over-counter pain relievers.

Causes of Iron Deficiency⁴

There are several causes of iron deficiency. It is important to determine what the cause is for proper treatment options.

Classification of Anemia - Hemoglobin Levels⁵

	Adult Women & Children	Pregnant Women	Men
Mild	110-119 g/L	100-109 g/L	120 - 129 g/L
Moderate	80-109 g/L	70-99 g/L	90-119 g/L
Severe	<80 g/L	<70 g/L	<90 g/L

References:

1. Statistics Canada, Iron Sufficiency of Canadians. Catalogue no. 82-003-XPE • Health Reports, Vol. 23, no.4, December 2012. https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/82-003-x/2012004/article/11742-eng.htm
2. The Journal of Biological Chemistry Vol. 284 No. 2, pp. 711–715, January 9, 2009
3. Anemia. Mayo Clinic. http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/anemia/symptoms-causes/syc-20351360
4. US National Library of Medicine, NIH. Iron deficiency anemia. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health-topics/iron-deficiency-anemia
5. World Health Organization. (‎2011)‎. Haemoglobin concentrations for the diagnosis of anaemia and assessment of severity. World Health Organization. https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/85839
6. Pawlak, R., Berger, J., & Hines, I. (2016). Iron Status of Vegetarian Adults: A Review of Literature. American journal of lifestyle medicine, 12(6), 486–498. https://doi.org/10.1177/1559827616682933
7. Brannon, P. M., & Taylor, C. L. (2017). Iron Supplementation during Pregnancy and Infancy: Uncertainties and Implications for Research and Policy. Nutrients, 9(12), 1327. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9121327