What does iron deficiency do to the body?
Iron deficiency anaemia is a condition where a lack of iron in the body leads to a reduction in the number of red blood cells.
Iron is used to produce red blood cells, which help store and carry oxygen in the blood.
If there are fewer red blood cells than normal, your organs and tissues will not get as much oxygen as they usually would.
This means you can suffer from tiredness, shortness of breath, heart palpitations and a pale complexion.
If left untreated it can make people more susceptible to illness and infection.
Pregnant women and children are particularly vulnerable. Anaemia is thought to contribute to 20% of all deaths during pregnancy.