How low iron levels can impact your mood and mental well-being

AN INCREASING number of people are noticing an important link between how low iron levels can affect mental health.

- VUYILE MADWANTSI

“Iron plays a vital role in producing serotonin, dopamine and norepinephrine, the brain's mood, sleep, and focus chemicals,’ explains Sister Karin Davidson, an anaemia advocate and the head of the Cape Town Infusion Centre. Without enough iron, these neurotransmitters can't be made efficiently, leading to emotional instability, brain fog or low mood.

Global research backs this up. A 2020 population-based cohort study found that people with iron deficiency anaemia (IDA) face a significantly higher risk of depression, anxiety, and sleep disorders than those with normal iron stores.

And a review of studies among women found that improving iron status improved mental-health scores and reduced fatigue.