Side defect: Russians have become more likely to have iron deficiency
The number of patients with iron metabolism disorders has increased markedly in Russia: over the past five years, according to estimates by various experts, the figure has increased by 20-45%, doctors told Izvestia. Experts attribute the situation to a change in eating habits, the spread of restrictive diets and an increase in the number of procedures affecting the absorption of nutrients. Doctors also note another trend: people are increasingly trying to make up for the lack of trace elements on their own with medications and ivs, which can lead to dangerous consequences.
The silent epidemic
Since the beginning of 2026, Russians have spent 15% more on funds to replenish iron reserves than in the same period of 2025, DSM Group analysts told Izvestia. The cost of dietary supplements with this trace element increased by 20% over the same period. According to Nikolay Bespalov, Director of Development at RNC Pharma, interest in such funds has been steadily increasing for the fourth year in a row.
In particular, the demand for injectable drugs has increased significantly. Since the beginning of the year, their sales have increased by 19% compared to the first half of 2025. During this period, more than 1.24 million packages worth 3.5 billion rubles were sold in Russia, RNC Pharma reported.
According to Nikolai Bespalov, in 2026, Russians began to buy 13% more funds to replenish iron reserves compared to the same period last year. In 2025, the growth was 11%, and the market volume in the first half of this year alone exceeded 8 billion rubles.
Tatiana Maklakova, a cardiologist, lipidologist, and specialist in integrative medicine at the flagship Be Healthy Center on Ryazansky Prospekt, called iron deficiency a silent epidemic.
—Up to 68% of women of reproductive age in Russia have low ferritin levels, an indicator that reflects iron reserves in the body," she said in an interview with Izvestia. — Patients often come complaining of fatigue, attributing it to stress, but it is iron deficiency that we are detecting.
Over the past few years, the number of referrals from patients with iron deficiency has increased by about 40-45%, said Elina Aranovich, head of the therapeutic department at Yusupov Hospital. She noted that the number of newly diagnosed cases of iron deficiency among men has increased significantly. And Andrey Reze, Deputy Director General for Science and Education at the Family Doctor Clinic, pointed out that iron deficiency anemia (a critical stage of iron deficiency. Women between the ages of 30 and 44 are more likely to suffer.
Why does iron deficiency develop?
Anastasia Falunina, a general practitioner at Sberbank, noted that from 2021 to 2025, the total number of referrals related to iron deficiency increased by about 25 times. She explained such indicators by improving diagnostic methods.
— Now iron deficiency is detected at an earlier stage, before the transition to iron deficiency anemia, — she explained. — In our clinics, such tests are more often performed by women from 35 to 44 years old: at this age, gynecological causes of increased blood loss are common, such as uterine fibroids, as well as the effects of previous pregnancies and childbirth.
With a lack of iron, the body cannot produce enough hemoglobin, a protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to organs and tissues through the bloodstream, Anastasia Falunina explained. This leads to constant fatigue, poor concentration, shortness of breath, rapid heartbeat even from light exercise, pallor, brittle hair and nails.
"As it progresses, immunity decreases and the risk of infections increases," she added. — In pregnant women, iron deficiency can cause premature birth and delayed fetal development.
Doctor Tatiana Maklakova noted that iron deficiency is often associated with heavy menstruation in women and hidden gastrointestinal bleeding. However, it is often caused by other factors such as stress, craving for trendy diets, as well as regular consumption of coffee and tea. According to her, chronic stress can disrupt the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, especially in people over 35 years of age, and provoke imperceptible microbleeds.
— If we talk about nutrition, it is important not only the amount of trace elements in foods, but also how well the body absorbs them, — said the doctor. — Iron from plant foods is absorbed by only 5-10%, while from meat — by 25-30%.
The development of iron deficiency is sometimes provoked by patients themselves, excluding red meat, liver and fish from the diet, agreed Olga Shuppo, founder and scientific director of the network of clinics for immunorehabilitation, adaptive and preventive medicine.
"Plant—based food will not be able to compensate for all the body's needs for vitamins and trace elements," she warned.
According to Olga Shuppo, the increase in the number of visits to doctors is due to several factors at once. On the one hand, people have become more attentive to their health and check their indicators more often. On the other hand, the number of patients with chronic inflammatory diseases has increased, in which the body actively consumes iron reserves.
Iron deficiency anemia is a condition in which hemoglobin levels decrease in the blood due to a lack of iron, Rodion Ponomarev, a hematologist at the National Research Medical Center of Hematology of the Ministry of Health, told Izvestia.
— A drop in hemoglobin can be caused by various reasons, the most common is iron deficiency, — he noted. — It performs many functions in the body, but the key one is to participate in the transport of oxygen in the composition of hemoglobin. If there is not enough iron, hemoglobin synthesis is disrupted, oxygen transport to the tissues decreases. In addition, iron participates in muscle contraction, provides energy and biochemical processes in cells.
According to the doctor, it is hypoxia, or oxygen starvation, that determines the clinical picture: patients note general weakness, shortness of breath with habitual physical exertion, palpitations, pallor of the skin and mucous membranes. The body of an adult contains about 4 g of iron: slightly more for men, slightly less for women — 3-3.5 g.
"Young women and the elderly are at risk,— said Rodion Ponomarev. — The older a person is, the more likely they are to have anemia, and in old age the proportion of polydeficiency anemia increases (various combinations of iron deficiency, vitamins B9 and B12), anemia of chronic diseases, anemia associated with chronic kidney disease. In the 80+ age group, the prevalence of anemia reaches 30-40%. In young women, anemia is most often associated with reproductive function.
If symptoms such as pale skin, unreasonable fatigue, palpitations or shortness of breath occur with little exertion, you should consult a doctor. Independent interpretation of the test results and attempts at self-medication are not recommended, the specialist emphasized.
— With a confirmed diagnosis of iron deficiency anemia or latent iron deficiency (that is, without anemia), the doctor prescribes iron supplements. It is important to note that such drugs have contraindications and can cause undesirable effects from the gastrointestinal tract. Uncontrolled intake of iron for preventive purposes is not only ineffective, but also potentially dangerous," said Rodion Ponomarev.
Dangerous self-medication
Therapist Elina Aranovich noted that bariatric gastric reduction surgeries, strict mono-diets and the use of weight loss products, which are now popular, can lead to a decrease in iron reserves.
"Another factor is products with a lot of preservatives and dyes, as well as uncontrolled intake of dietary supplements and medications," she said. — In some cases, this disrupts the absorption and transfer of vitamins and trace elements in the body.
At the same time, sales of iron supplements "are not just growing, but growing exponentially," said Andrei Simakov, a gastroenterologist.
— They began to buy iron much more often, which is injected through IVs, — he said. — People don't want to take pills for a long time and adjust their lifestyle. Dietary supplements are usually useless, and self-administration of ivs poses the greatest danger. Often, such procedures are performed at home or in organizations without a medical license offering all kinds of "health droppers." Sometimes there are not even specialists and equipment to provide anti-shock assistance. But the patient may begin to react to the drug, and he will simply die.
Tatiana Maklakova noted that many people take iron supplements without a doctor's prescription — "for prevention," on the advice of friends, or after a single analysis.
— As a result, overdose and secondary hemochromatosis can develop — excessive accumulation of iron in the liver, pancreas and heart, which leads to cirrhosis and diabetes. The body does not know how to remove excess iron, and its excess is toxic," she explained.
According to Olga Shuppo, iron replenishment products should be prescribed by a specialist after a full examination: even if used correctly, they can cause side effects, such as constipation and nausea. The expert added that an integrated approach is needed to solve the problem — normalization of sleep under chronic stress, checking the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract, adjusting the diet and including foods that help to make up for the lack of essential substances.
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