Iron Pills May Help Women Beat Fatigue

Prescribing iron supplements may help some women with fatigue even if they are not officially anaemic, Swiss researchers suggest. A severe shortage of iron is the most common cause of anaemia resulting in lethargy, weakness and feeling faint. A study of 198 women, published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, showed iron pills may also help those with moderately low iron levels too. Taking too much iron, however, can be dangerous. The researchers looked at reproductive age women, between 18 and 53, as menstruation is known to lower iron levels. They said unexplained fatigue was a common problem in doctors' surgeries, but it was as yet unknown whether iron supplements could help these women.