What does iron do for our bodies?

As with any nutrient, getting the right amount of iron is vital for your body's function. But iron has a uniquely important role.

Iron is essential for transporting oxygen throughout the body, as it’s a key part of haemoglobin in red blood cells, helping deliver oxygen to vital organs and tissues. It also plays a key role in energy production, brain function and immune health, affecting everything from concentration and memory to mood and overall vitality.”

Deficiency can result in fatigue, pale skin, shortness of breath, headaches, dizziness and weakness.

Symptoms or not, the best (and only) way to find out if you have a deficiency is by getting a blood test. You can even get at-home ferritin tests (ferritin being the blood protein that stores iron in the body), if preferable.

Deficiency could be diet-related from not enough iron-rich foods, due to malabsorption from the gut, or chronic blood loss from heavy periods [for women] or from bowel conditions.” From there, you can take the next steps, and if you need to start supplementing, only do so based on your GP's advice, as optimal iron levels vary from person to person.

Foods rich in iron include:

Red meat, pork and poultry.
Seafood.
Beans.
Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach.
Dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots.
Iron-fortified cereals, breads and pastas.
Peas.

It is actually really easy to boost your iron through your diet alone, you just need to choose the right food combinations to make sure it's fully absorbed into the bloodstream.

There is plenty of iron in spinach – but we can't absorb plant iron without vitamin C. So unless you have some of that in your meal, that iron isn't going in."

Supplements are available should you prefer.