Over 2 billion people, most of them children and women of childbearing age, are iron-deficient. Are you at risk?

Why is iron so important?

As an essential mineral, iron is part of the hemoglobin found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin's job is to carry oxygen from our lungs to our heart and muscles. With low iron stores, or anemia, the oxygen transportation system breaks down. Anemia impairs mental development and increases the risk of infection and fatigue. Symptoms of iron-deficiency include weakness, loss of appetite and pica (the desire to eat nonfood substances such as ice chips or detergent).

Why are so many people iron-deficient?

For starters, adult women require 2,500-3,000 calories a day to obtain enough iron (15-18 mg) from their food intake alone. That's more food than most of us like to admit eating. If you're one of the millions of women on weight-loss diets or just watching your calorie intake, you probably don't eat enough food to obtain sufficient iron, so you may be iron-depleted.

Children between the ages of six months and two years also have a high risk of anemia. Their intake of milk (not a good source of iron) can be high while the intake of high-iron foods may be low. To combat this, infant cereals are often iron-fortified. Make sure your baby and toddler eat iron-rich foods to ensure optimum mental development.

At-risk groups: