The Deficiency Women Often Mistake with Burnout.
Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world — primarily affecting women. Despite how widespread it is, iron deficiency is also one of the most under-diagnosed conditions amongst women, largely because its symptoms are so easy to write off as "just being tired" or "stressed."
If you've been feeling exhausted no matter how much you sleep, losing more hair than usual, constantly cold, foggy-headed, or low in mood — iron deficiency might be the missing piece.
The Symptoms That Get Mistaken for Stress
Low iron doesn't announce itself clearly. Instead, it shows up as a cluster of symptoms that overlap almost perfectly with everyday burnout, making it easy to be dismissed:
Fatigue that doesn't improve with rest
Hair loss or thinning
Heavy menstrual periods, which can be both a cause and a symptom of low iron
Thyroid-like symptoms — iron is needed to produce thyroid hormone, so low iron can mimic or worsen an underactive thyroid
Feeling cold all the time, especially in the hands and feet
Low mood or a flat, unmotivated feeling
Brain fog — trouble concentrating, forgetfulness, feeling mentally "slow"
Burnout or Low Iron? Why They're So Easy to Confuse in Women
Burnout and iron deficiency can look almost identical on the surface — both leave you exhausted, flat and mentally foggy. That overlap is exactly why so many women go undiagnosed for months or years.
However women are at higher risk of iron deficiency. So if one of the following applies to you, I’d be ruling out low iron as the root cause to your burnout symptoms:
Menstruate regularly (iron is lost every cycle, whether or not your periods feel "heavy")
Have had heavy or prolonged periods at any point
Follow a vegan or vegetarian diet
Have been pregnant or given birth in the last couple of years
Have a history of low iron or anaemia
So How Much Iron Do Women Actually Need?
For most women aged 19–50, the recommended dietary intake is 18mg of iron per day. This is notably higher than the requirement for men (about 8mg/day), because of iron lost through menstruation each month.
Iron-Rich Foods and How Much Iron They Provide
Iron comes in two forms: heme iron (from animal sources, absorbed more easily by the body) and non-heme iron (from plant sources, absorbed less efficiently).
Heme iron sources (animal-based)
Iron (mg) per 100g serve:
Beef liver: 6.5mg
Lean beef: 2.6–3mg
Lamb: 1.9mg
Chicken Thighs (dark meat): 1.3mg
Sardines (1 can): 2.9mg
Oysters (about 6 medium): 5–8mg
Egg 1 large: 0.9mg
Non-heme iron sources (plant-based)
Lentils, cooked 1 cup (198g): 6.6mg
Firm tofu1 cup (126g): 3.4mg
Chickpeas, cooked 1 cup (164g): 4.7mg
Spinach, cooked 1 cup (180g): 6.4mg
Pumpkin seeds 28g: 2.5mg
Quinoa, cooked 1 cup: 2.8mg
White beans, cooked 1 cup: 6.6mg
Tip: Pairing non-heme iron foods with a source of vitamin C — like capsicum, citrus, tomatoes, or strawberries — can significantly boost absorption. On the flip side, tea, coffee, and calcium-rich foods eaten at the same meal can reduce how much iron your body actually absorbs, so it's worth spacing these out if you're trying to build your iron stores.
A Day on Your Plate: >18mg Iron
Breakfast: 3 eggs cooked with 2 cups kale, 1 tbsp nutritional yeast flakes: 6-7mg iron
Glass of Spirulina & Chlorella powder (3g of each) in water: 3-5mg iron
Lunch: Salad with 100g sweet potato and 110g slow cooked chicken thigh: 2mg iron
Snack: 1 Kiwi Fruit with a small handful of pumpkin seeds: 2.5mg iron
Dinner: Lean beef stir-fry (100g beef) with broccoli, capsicum and spinach: 7-8mg iron
When Women Need More Than 18mg
The 18mg daily iron guideline is a baseline for the "average" woman — but several life stages and circumstances increase iron requirements considerably.
Pregnancy
During pregnancy, blood volume increases substantially to support the growing baby and placenta. Recommended intake rises to around 27mg per day, and many women are advised to take an iron supplement at some stage throughout their pregnancy as food alone can be difficult to rely on to meet the increased needs of the baby and to prepare for any possible blood loss during the birth.
Breastfeeding and the postpartum period
Iron requirements actually drop slightly during exclusive breastfeeding (around 9–10mg/day) because periods are often paused. However, many women enter the postpartum period already depleted from pregnancy, blood loss during birth, or a difficult recovery — so replenishing iron stores in the months after birth is still a priority, and needs are very personalised. It’s essential to monitor your iron levels during this time, and it’s rare that I don’t meet a postpartum mother who requires additional iron supplementation.
Women with heavy periods (menorrhagia)
Heavy menstrual bleeding is one of the most common — and most overlooked — causes of iron deficiency in women. If you're soaking through a pad or tampon every hour or two, passing large clots, or bleeding for more than 7 days, you may be losing significantly more iron each cycle than the average 18mg/day accounts for.
Women on vegan or vegetarian diets
Since plant-based (non-heme) iron is absorbed less efficiently than heme iron — the recommended iron intake for vegetarians and vegans is 1.8 times higher, bringing it to 32mg per day. This doesn't mean plant-based diets can't meet iron needs, but it does mean more intentional meal planning, and monitoring of iron levels annually.
When your iron levels are “normal” but you don't feel right
Because iron deficiency builds up gradually and mimics everyday tiredness so closely, it's easy to go years without realising your levels have quietly dropped. For this reason, I recommend menstruating women routinely check their iron levels once-a-year.
However keep in mind although your iron levels may appear “within normal range,” iron deficiency symptoms can begin when your iron levels are on the lower side of optimal range. So always consult with a nutritionist or medical practitioner who is specialised in addressing nutritional defiencies. Too often I have women coming in saying “but my iron levels are normal?!” And they are less than normal. We don’t want to wait until your cells are completely deficient of iron to start addressing your iron deficiency and its symptoms which start well before you reach that point.
What to look for in your bloods?
Ask your GP for a full iron studies panel, which typically includes ferritin (your iron stores). Ferritin is what we want to track, and if we see that on a downward trend we want to catch it before it’s too late.
This article is general information and isn't a substitute for personalised medical advice.
