Running on empty

Iron is the most common and overlooked nutritional deficiency in the world, and it could be affecting more than your energy levels.

- ASHLEIGH AUSTEN

It's easy to blame fatigue on too much multitasking and not enough rest.

But if your getup-and-go has got up and gone - despite prioritising sleep, a good diet and self-care - your iron levels could have something to do with it.

Iron deficiency is the most widespread nutritional deficiency in the world, and Australian women are among the hardest hit. According to recent research, around 15 per cent of women of reproductive age, including those in perimenopause, have iron deficiency anaemia - the most severe form. And iron deficiency without anaemia? It's estimated to be three times more common.

"That iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency globally is unacceptable to me," says nutritional biochemist and author of Fix Iron First, Dr Libby Weaver.

"Too many people live knowingly or unknowingly with iron insufficiency, experiencing anxiety, brain fog, fatigue, and a host of other symptoms without realising iron is the missing piece."

The wide-reaching impact of iron

While most of us associate iron with tiredness, it plays a much bigger role in our health and wellbeing than we might realise.

"Iron is crucial for energy, thyroid function, detoxification, metabolic rate, anxiety prevention and mood regulation," Dr Libby explains. "Your thyroid requires iron to make its hormones, and the production of key neurotransmitters like dopamine [which we need for motivation] and GABA [which helps keep us calm] rely on it."