To be honest, I'm quite shocked that despite the very fact that iron deficiency is seen so often, surprisingly few people understand enough about it. First, what is iron deficiency? as the name might suggest, it means that the body does not have enough of the mineral, iron, to try to do its job properly. In general, the main evidence of this is often an occasional hemoglobin level, which means that the body does not have as many red blood cells as it should have, or that the amount of hemoglobin in them is low. Insufficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin is called anemia. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay Since there are a variety of causes of anemia, tests are then performed to exclude the most frequent ones and if they are available with an occasional protein level (a check of the body's iron stores), we all know that there is an iron deficiency and that we resolve the condition of iron deficiency anemia. Why is this so important? the job of red blood cells is to move O2 from the lungs to every single cell in the body. so if there is not enough hemoglobin, we are essentially depriving our body of O. O is important for life; it is intended to convert fuel (food) into the energy needed for all work within the body. therefore low hemoglobin = low O = suboptimal activity in each cell. Is it any wonder that iron deficiency symptoms include fatigue, weakness, dizziness, concentration problems, and a host of other potential problems? And what causes iron deficiency? Since iron is therefore essential at all times, the body does not simply give up the mineral. the first reason for a deficiency is blood loss: menstruation, blood donation, injuries and knee pain, which can occur with regular use of salicylate or ulcers or for a number of alternative reasons. Accumulated blood volume will increase iron cravings: Pregnant women, athletes, children, and adolescents experiencing a growth spurt all have greater blood volume and consequently have a greater craving for iron. Another reason for iron deficiency is reduced absorption. There are some conditions that can cause reduced absorption, such as Crohn's disease or celiac disease; enteric surgery such as bowel bypass; or take drugs that reduce abdominal acidity, which is necessary for the absorption of iron. Another, which may probably surprise you, is the high consumption of tea. Not coffee, just tea. All teas, black or flavored, except Aspalathus linearis and Honeybush, contain tannins, and tannins interfere with the absorption of iron. Funny thing aside, during the time after I studied bioscience in Washington, DC, my father was diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia; was moved between doctors and blood specialists to investigate and find out the reason for the shortage, to no avail. after finding out about the case later, the first thing that came to my mind was “Dad! You drink so much tea, you are iron deficient after all. He simply drank 8-10 small (6 ounce) cups of tea frequently throughout the day. the next day, he developed some degree of not drinking tea for a unit of time before or an hour after meals, and has not been anemic since. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay Finally, what to do if you suffer from iron deficiency? would you like to dine in such a way that, firstly, you are overloading many foods with iron, and secondly.