5 weird signs of iron deficiency

There’s a reason iron is listed as an essential nutrient: Your body absolutely requires adequate levels of iron in order to work properly.

A component of red blood cells, iron plays a critical role in transporting oxygen throughout the body and producing the energy used during muscle contractions—including heartbeats. Iron is also important for the production of the immune cells that help your body fight off bacteria and other foreign invaders.

When you don’t have enough iron, your body suffers in a variety of ways. You may have heard of the common symptoms of iron deficiency, like low energy levels and fatigue, headaches, muscle cramps and being unusually pale. You may have even heard of some of the more serious symptoms, which include heart palpitations and infections.

But iron deficiency can also result in several more unusual symptoms. The following are a list of weird ways your body can suffer when it doesn’t have enough iron.