5. You’re pregnant or losing too much blood
If you’re consuming adequate amounts of iron and you’re still anemic, you could be pregnant. “Pregnant women are at risk for iron deficiency because in order to deliver oxygen to the fetus, the body compensates by decreasing the thickness of the blood by increasing the watery part of it,” says Dr. Kahn.
Another possible reason is that your baby is consuming your iron stores. (That’s why there’s iron in your prenatal vitamins.) But men and women past their childbearing years can still develop anemia, and that’s usually due to some type of underlying bleeding, such as colon cancer, says Dr. Kahn. No matter the reason, you should consult your doctor.
