Why Periods Can Drain Your Iron (and why it matters more than you think)

Feeling tired, light-headed or foggy during your period is often brushed off as “normal.” But for many girls and women, these symptoms can be linked to something deeper - iron loss during menstruation.

Iron is a mineral your body needs every single day. It helps make haemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen around your body. Without enough iron, your cells don’t get the oxygen they need and that’s when fatigue, dizziness and poor concentration can show up.

How periods affect iron levels

When you menstruate, your body loses blood. Along with that blood, it also loses iron.

For most women, this happens every month for decades. If the iron lost during periods is not replaced through diet or supplementation, iron stores can slowly drop over time. Heavy or long periods increase this risk even more.

To put it simply: when you lose blood, you lose iron. Because periods happen every month, the iron loss is repeated again and again. If the iron your body loses isn’t replaced through diet or support, your iron levels slowly drop over time, which can lead to low iron and eventually iron deficiency.

This is why menstruating women and girls are one of the groups most affected by iron deficiency worldwide.

Why teens are especially vulnerable

Teenage girls are at higher risk of iron deficiency than many people realise, especially after they start menstruating.

Here’s why:

1. Growth spurts increase iron needs

During adolescence, the body grows rapidly. More blood, muscle and tissue are being made, which means iron requirements increase.

2. Periods begin

Once menstruation starts, iron is lost every month. This adds a new demand on the body at the same time growth is happening.

3. Diets may not supply enough iron

Many teens don’t always get enough iron from their diets. This can be because they skip meals, avoid red meat, follow restrictive or plant-based eating patterns or have busy schedules that make balanced meals harder to maintain.

Even with a “normal” diet, it can be hard to replace iron lost during periods.

4. Symptoms are often overlooked

Fatigue, mood changes, headaches, and difficulty concentrating are often blamed on hormones, stress, school pressure or lack of sleep. While these can play a role, low iron levels can quietly contribute to all of these symptoms as well.

Common signs of low iron during periods

Low iron doesn’t look the same for everyone, but common signs include:

• Feeling tired even after enough sleep
• Dizziness or light-headedness
• Shortness of breath during mild activity
• Pale skin
• Headaches
• Difficulty concentrating
• Feeling cold more often than usual

These symptoms can become more noticeable during or just after a period.

Why iron matters more than you think

Iron doesn’t just affect energy. It plays a role in:

• Oxygen delivery to muscles and the brain
• Immune system function
• Mental focus and learning
• Physical stamina and recovery

When iron levels are low, everyday tasks can feel harder than they should. Being aware of how periods affect iron levels, especially during the teenage years, is an important step toward better long-term health, energy and wellbeing.

Chela-Fer® Menstrual Support is designed to help replace iron lost during menstruation in a simple, easy-to-take format. It provides 24 mg of elemental iron from ferrous sulphate to support the normal formation of red blood cells and haemoglobin, which are essential for oxygen transport and energy levels. The added vitamin C helps improve iron absorption and supports overall health. With a berry-flavoured, sugar-free effervescent tablet taken once daily after a meal, it offers a convenient way for menstruating teens and women to support their iron levels as part of a balanced approach to wellbeing.

Periods are normal. Constant exhaustion doesn’t have to be.

Information provided by SOLAL®