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Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Iron-deficiency Anemia. A Review of the Current Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies
Miguel López‐Moreno, Adrián Castillo‐García, Alberto Roldán‐Ruiz, Isabel Viña, Gabriele Bertotti. Current Nutrition Reports, 2025-06-17
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review provides a comprehensive overview of iron metabolism, emphasizing the influence of dietary patterns-particularly vegetarian and vegan diets-on iron status and associated health outcomes. RECENT FINDINGS: Concerns regarding iron deficiency anemia in individuals following plant-based diets necessitate a deeper comprehension of the factors affecting iron bioavailability and absorption. Non-heme iron, which is more abundant in plant-based sources, poses challenges about its lower bioavailability and this could contribute to an increased risk of anemia in these populations. However, recent studies challenge this assumption, revealing a more complex relationship between plant-based nutrition and iron status. Additionally, emerging evidence suggests that the potential association between red meat consumption and cancer may be partially mediated by the high intake of heme iron. This review highlights the complex dynamics of dietary iron in vegetarian and vegan diets, which, despite offering less bioavailable iron, often surpass the intake levels of omnivorous diets. The potential involvement of adaptive physiological mechanisms suggests variability in non-heme iron absorption to meet nutritional requirements. While well-planned plant-based diets can be nutritionally adequate, further research is needed to better understand their long-term effects on iron metabolism.
Key findings
- Non-heme iron, which is more abundant in plant-based sources, poses challenges about its lower bioavailability and this could contribute to an increased risk of anemia in these populations.
- Additionally, emerging evidence suggests that the potential association between red meat consumption and cancer may be partially mediated by the high intake of heme iron.
Why it matters
This review examines iron status in people following vegetarian and vegan diets, noting that well-planned plant-based diets can be nutritionally adequate. It contains no information on Alzheimer's disease.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 40/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Current Nutrition Reports) |
| Journal's citation record | 0 / 4 | Current Nutrition Reports: journal h-index 69 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 4 / 5 | 2025 — within 3 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 3 / 7 | Cited 28 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 3 / 5 | 9.3 citations a year over 3 year(s) since 2025 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 18.3× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 0 / 6 | No other study in this library cites it |
| Still being cited | 2 / 4 | Cited 28 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 1 / 4 | Last-listed author Gabriele Bertotti: h-index 8 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 0 / 3 | Universidad de Alcalá: institution h-index 381 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 1 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 3 institution(s) in 1 country |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 40528105) |
| Free to read | 2 / 2 | Free to read |
| Total | 40 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1007/s13668-025-00671-y
- PubMed: 40528105
- Original source →
- Free full text: Current Nutrition Reports →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
Built from the record alzhub holds for this paper, not looked up. Volume, issue and page numbers are not held in the record. Check the citation against the original before you use it.
APA 7th
López‐Moreno, M., Castillo‐García, A., Roldán‐Ruiz, A., Viña, I., & Bertotti, G. (2025). Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Iron-deficiency Anemia. A Review of the Current Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies. Current Nutrition Reports. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-025-00671-y
Vancouver
López‐Moreno M, Castillo‐García A, Roldán‐Ruiz A, Viña I, Bertotti G. Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Iron-deficiency Anemia. A Review of the Current Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies. Current Nutrition Reports. 2025. doi:10.1007/s13668-025-00671-y. PMID: 40528105.
BibTeX
@article{lopezmoreno2025-40528105,
author = {López‐Moreno, Miguel and Castillo‐García, Adrián and Roldán‐Ruiz, Alberto and Viña, Isabel and Bertotti, Gabriele},
title = {{Plant-Based Diet and Risk of Iron-deficiency Anemia. A Review of the Current Evidence and Implications for Preventive Strategies}},
journal = {Current Nutrition Reports},
year = {2025},
doi = {10.1007/s13668-025-00671-y},
pmid = {40528105},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s13668-025-00671-y}
}