Iron: MedlinePlus

Iron: MedlinePlus

Iron

MEDICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA

• Anemia caused by low iron - children
• Anemia caused by low iron -- infants and toddlers
• Ferritin blood test
• Iron deficiency anemia
• Iron in diet
• Iron overdose
• Serum iron test
• Taking iron supplements
• Total iron binding capacity

Related Health Topics

• Anemia
• Hemochromatosis
• Minerals
• Thalassemia

National Institutes of Health

The primary NIH organization for research on Iron is the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements

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New on the MedlinePlus Iron page:

Ferritin Blood Test

05/01/2018 03:50 PM EDT

Summary

Iron is a mineral that our bodies need for many functions. For example, iron is part of hemoglobin, a protein which carries oxygen from our lungs throughout our bodies. It helps our muscles store and use oxygen. Iron is also part of many other proteins and enzymes.

Your body needs the right amount of iron. If you have too little iron, you may develop iron deficiency anemia. Causes of low iron levels include blood loss, poor diet, or an inability to absorb enough iron from foods. People at higher risk of having too little iron are young children and women who are pregnant or have periods.

Too much iron can damage your body. Taking too many iron supplements can cause iron poisoning. Some people have an inherited disease called hemochromatosis. It causes too much iron to build up in the body.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Start Here

• Iron  (National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements)Also in Spanish

Diagnosis and Tests

• Ferritin Blood Test  (National Library of Medicine)Also in Spanish
• Iron Test (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)
• TIBC, UIBC and Transferrin (American Association for Clinical Chemistry)

Related Issues

• Avoiding Anemia: Boost Your Red Blood Cells  (National Institutes of Health)Also in Spanish

Specifics

• Anemia (American Academy of Family Physicians)Also in Spanish
• Iron-Deficiency Anemia   (National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute)Also in Spanish

Genetics

• Genetics Home Reference: African iron overload  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: GRACILE syndrome  (National Library of Medicine)
• Genetics Home Reference: hyperferritinemia-cataract syndrome  (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• FastStats: Anemia or Iron Deficiency (National Center for Health Statistics)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Ferritins  (National Institutes of Health)
• ClinicalTrials.gov: Iron  (National Institutes of Health)

Journal ArticlesReferences and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Iron balance and iron supplementation for the female athlete: A... 
• Article: The relationships among iron supplement use, Hb concentration and linear... 
• Article: Dietary iron intake, iron status, and gestational diabetes. 
• Iron -- see more articles 

Find an Expert

• Food and Drug Administration 
• Food and Nutrition Information Center 
• National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements 

Children

• Iron and Your Child (Nemours Foundation)Also in Spanish
• Iron-Deficiency Anemia (For Parents) (Nemours Foundation)

Patient Handouts

• Anemia caused by low iron -- infants and toddlers (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Ferritin blood test (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Iron deficiency anemia (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Iron in diet (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Serum iron test (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Taking iron supplements (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish
• Total iron binding capacity (Medical Encyclopedia)Also in Spanish