Do vegans get enough iron, or end up anaemic?

The objection

“Plant iron is the weak kind your body barely absorbs. Vegans must be running around tired and anaemic.”

The answer

Half of this is fair, so let’s grant it before answering. Plant foods contain non-haem iron, which is absorbed less efficiently than the haem iron in meat, and reviews do find vegetarians and vegans tend to have lower ferritin (lower iron stores), particularly premenopausal women.

But lower stores are a long way from anaemia, and the conclusion the objection wants doesn’t follow. Systematic reviews find no higher rate of iron-deficiency anaemia in vegetarians and vegans than in meat-eaters. The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics notes that iron-deficiency anaemia rates are similar across diet groups. Lower-but-adequate stores may even be neutral or mildly favourable, since very high iron stores carry their own risks.

The mechanism the scare misses is adaptation and absorption control. When stores run lower, the gut simply absorbs a larger fraction of the iron you eat. And absorption is something you can drive: vitamin C eaten with an iron source can multiply uptake several-fold, while tea and coffee at mealtimes blunt it. Lentils, tofu, beans, pumpkin seeds, fortified cereals and dark greens all carry iron. Squeeze lemon on the lentils, and drink the tea between meals.

One caveat worth flagging plainly: premenopausal women and endurance athletes lose more iron and should pay attention, ideally checking ferritin rather than guessing. That’s a planning point, not a verdict against the diet.