What happens when your body is low on iron?

Without enough iron, your body can't produce enough of a substance in red blood cells that enables them to carry oxygen (hemoglobin). As a result, iron deficiency anemia may leave you tired and short of breath.

Iron helps to preserve many vital functions in the body, including general energy and focus, gastrointestinal processes, the immune system, and the regulation of body temperature. The benefits of iron often go unnoticed until a person is not getting enough.

Weight gain related to iron therapy is a common problem in female patients with IDA. Patients under iron therapy should be counseled in terms of weight gain complication and benefits of diet and followed up serum ferritin and Hgb levels to prevent prolonged iron therapy.

It occurs when your body doesn't have enough iron. Potential causes include not eating enough iron-rich foods, blood loss due to menstruation, and inability to absorb iron. If you suspect you have an iron deficiency, see a doctor. They can diagnose anemia with blood tests.

Additionally, avocados are high in magnesium, phosphorus, iron and potassium, containing even more potassium per gram than bananas, according to the New York University Langone Medical Center. Fresh avocados contain lycopene and beta-carotene, which are important carotenoid antioxidants.

Eggs have 1.89 mg of iron, which increases energy and boosts your immune system. Egg yolks are a concentrated source of choline -- a nutrient that helps with brain development. The protein in eggs helps to lower blood pressure, optimize bone health and increase muscle mass.

Summary: Prune juice, olives and mulberries are the three types of fruit with the highest iron concentration per portion. These fruit also contain antioxidants and a variety of other nutrients beneficial to health.

Peanut butter provides a moderate amount of iron. It can be a significant source of iron for people who follow a vegetarian diet or who eat modest amounts of meat. However, if plant foods are your only source of iron, you will need to consume almost twice as much food compared to people who eat meat.

19. Dark Chocolate. Dark chocolate contains significantly more nutrients than its milk chocolate counterpart. Not only does it offer 3.3 mg of iron per ounce (28 grams), meeting around 18% of the RDI, but it also contains a good amount of fiber, magnesium, copper and manganese (70).

Orange juice. OJ doesn't have iron, but consuming vitamin C at the same time as iron-rich foods increases the rate of iron absorption. Most children's juices, including apple and grape juice, are fortified to deliver 100 percent of the recommended daily allowance for children.

The iron in chicken is of the more bioavailable type. A half breast of chicken contains 6 percent of your daily value for iron, based on a 2,000-calorie diet, and is among the top 10 foods highest in iron. A 6-ounce piece of lean cooked chicken breast contains 5 percent of your daily value, according to the USDA.

Dairy products such as cheese, cottage cheese, milk and yogurt, although rich in calcium, have negligible iron content. It is important to eat a variety of foods every day.