An appropriately planned well-balanced vegetarian diet is compatible w
ith an adequate iron status. Although the iron stores of vegetarians m
ay be reduced, the incidence of iron-deficiency anemia in vegetarians
is not significantly different from that in omnivores. Restrictive veg
etarian diets (eg, macrobiotic) are associated with more widespread ir
on-deficiency anemia. Western vegetarians who consume a variety of foo
ds have a better iron status than do those in developing countries who
consume a limited diet based on unleavened, unrefined cereals. Wherea
s phytates, polyphenolics, and other plant constituents found in veget
arian diets inhibit nonheme-iron absorption, vitamin C, citric acid, a
nd other organic acids facilitate nonheme-iron absorption.