Iron deficiency during your period: a common phenomenon with serious consequences

Many women lose so much iron with their menstrual blood every month that this can have health consequences.

Iron plays a crucial role in important bodily functions, especially in the oxygen supply to our cells. This article sheds light on the mechanisms of iron loss during menstruation, provides an overview of the causes of iron deficiency as a result of menstruation and offers practical tips and information on how to remedy or prevent a deficiency.

1. Iron & the period: an overview
2. Warning signs of iron deficiency during your period
3. Increased iron requirement with heavy menstruation
4. Four measures for iron deficiency caused by your period
5. How much iron do you need per day?
6. Influence of iron deficiency on the menstrual cycle
7. Conclusion

1. Iron & the period: an overview

Why women lose iron during menstruation

Women have around 500 periods between puberty and the menopause. On average, a woman loses 65 millilitres of blood during her menstruation, making a total of around 30 litres over the course of a woman's life!
A large proportion of the body's iron is bound in the blood. As part of the red blood pigment, iron helps to absorb oxygen, which is then transported to all the cells in the body. There is therefore a direct link between the loss of menstrual blood and iron deficiency.
If the lost iron is not adequately replaced, iron deficiency symptoms can become noticeable:
The continuous loss of blood leads to, especially in women with heavier or more prolonged bleeding:

• tiredness
• paleness
• reduced performance

Many women only notice an iron deficiency when they feel exhausted and exhausted for a long time.
The loss of iron during menstruation is a natural process. However, it can have serious consequences if it is not compensated for. You should therefore take iron deficiency symptoms seriously. It is even better to take precautions to ensure that you get enough iron. This article will provide you with the knowledge and the basics.

Iron deficiency in the past and today

The fact that women bleed every four weeks is a new phenomenon in human history. Until around a hundred years ago, the female cycle was much less frequent.
Women became pregnant at a very young age, breastfed for a long time and then quickly became pregnant again. Pregnancy and breastfeeding alternated several times and women died early.^1,2
As a result, women had significantly fewer menstrual cycles than today. This also means that their iron loss through their periods was much lower.
Another key factor for the iron deficiency that is so common in women today is our modern diet. In the past, wholemeal cereals and meat, especially iron-rich offal, were part of the normal diet. With today's eating habits, these traditional sources of iron have become less important. Many women who otherwise eat a healthy diet rarely eat meat or consciously avoid it. Others consume fast food or convenience foods that contain hardly any whole grains.

2. Warning signs of iron deficiency during your period

Iron deficiency caused by menstrual blood loss can manifest itself in different ways. Many women feel increasingly weak or lacking in energy. This is often an indication that the iron level in the body has dropped. As the symptoms develop gradually, the deficiency is often only noticed late.
The 5 most common warning signs of iron deficiency are:

1. Constant tiredness and lack of energy, difficulty concentrating and a general feeling of weakness
2. A noticeably pale skin colour
3. Cracks in the corners of the mouth
4. An increased feeling of coldness, especially in the extremities such as the fingers
5. In the case of severe iron deficiency or pronounced anaemia, shortness of breath and palpitations may also occur

Detailed information about the symptoms and the different stages of anaemia can be found in the article Symptoms and signs of iron deficiency.

3. Increased iron requirement with heavy menstruation

Around one in 10 women have heavy periods and lose more than 80 millilitres of blood per period³. The reason for the high blood loss can be a period that is too long (menorrhagia) with a menstrual period lasting more than 7 days or a period that is too heavy (hypermenorrhoea). Women between their late 30s and late 40s are particularly frequently affected.
As heavy menstruation also leads to a greater loss of iron, it is not surprising that up to 70 % of women affected suffer from iron deficiency or even iron deficiency anaemia.

Signs of hypermenorrhoea can be that pads or tampons are completely full within less than two hours, that menstrual cups fill up very quickly or that you have to get up at night to change tampons. Women with heavy menstruation often also notice blood clots in the menstrual blood.

Five signs of heavy menstruation:

The following 5 factors are signs of heavy menstruation:

1. Daily need for more than 8 pads or tampons or the need to change them every 1-2 hours or in the middle of the night.
2. Frequent changes of tampon or pad, making a normal daily routine difficult.
3. Menstruation lasting more than 7 days
4. Feelings of weakness and lack of energy during menstruation
5. Clumping of the menstrual blood

If you are affected by one or more of these symptoms, you should check your iron levels.

Five common causes of very heavy periods

In most cases, heavy menstrual bleeding has no serious, disease-related causes. However, they can severely impair your quality of life.
The following 5 common factors can lead to increased menstruation:

1. Hormonal fluctuations (note: in some cases, these are triggered by illnesses such as diabetes⁴)
2. Inflammation of the lining of the uterus
3. Endometriosis
4. Myomas (benign growths in the uterine muscles)
5. Increased menstruation after stopping the pill or giving birth

Three treatment options for heavy menstrual bleeding

There are various medical approaches for the treatment of heavy or prolonged menstrual bleeding. 3 possible options are:

1. Hormonal contraceptives: These can weaken
menstruation by reducing the growth of the uterine lining.
2. Drug therapy: Certain drugs can help to reduce the intensity of menstrual bleeding.
3. Surgical interventions: If symptoms are severe, removal or sclerotherapy of the uterine lining or removal of the uterus must be considered.

Menstruation can only be completely prevented by surgery or, as is the case with a long-term pill, by interfering with the hormone balance. The bleeding then stops completely. Such treatments are therefore only suitable for women who do not wish to have children.
Even if no specific cause for the heavy bleeding can be identified, it is best to discuss the treatment options with a gynaecologist.

4. Four measures for iron deficiency caused by your period

If you have an iron deficiency, there are several options.

Diet with iron-rich foods

A balanced, iron-rich diet helps to compensate for iron deficiency.
Iron-rich foods include, among others:

• Meat, fish
• Green leafy vegetables and pulses
• Wholemeal products

Animal products made from blood and offal, such as liver sausage, are particularly rich in haem iron, which the body can absorb well.
Plant sources such as green leafy vegetables, pulses and wholegrains primarily contain non-haem iron, the absorption of which is impaired by certain food components. For example, red wine, tea, cocoa and beetroot inhibit iron absorption.
Our list of foods that affect iron absorption will help you to make the most of the iron sources in your diet.

Iron infusions for iron deficiency

Iron infusions are one way of topping up iron stores very quickly. This method can be effective, but also harbours risks. A detailed explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of this method can be found in our article "
Iron infusion for iron deficiency, yes or no? "

Iron supplementation during menstruation?

Women with heavy menstruation or a tendency towards low ferritin levels should consider iron supplementation (supplementary iron supply in addition to food). However, it is important to take it continuously over a longer period of time, not just during the days of menstruation. Regular monitoring of iron levels by a healthcare professional is recommended.

Use of food supplements

In the case of heavy menstrual bleeding, but also depending on dietary habits, it can be difficult to cover the iron requirement solely through food. In such cases, dietary supplements are helpful.
Preparations with microencapsulated iron are particularly recommended, as this form of supplementation is better tolerated and enables more effective iron absorption. You can find out more about the benefits of microencapsulated iron in the article " Microencapsulated iron. "

5. How much iron do you need per day?

Women's iron requirements increase significantly not only during menstruation, but also during pregnancy and breastfeeding. A pregnant woman needs around double the amount of iron to provide herself and her growing child with an adequate supply.

Average iron requirement of men and women

The average iron requirement is:

• About 15 mg/day for women of childbearing age
• For men 10 mg/day
• During pregnancy, the requirement doubles to about 30 mg/day
• About 20 mg/day during breastfeeding
• After the menopause, the daily iron requirement of women equals that of men (approx. 10 mg/day)

Details can be found in the illustrative graphic " Daily iron requirement per phase of life. "

6. Influence of iron deficiency on the menstrual cycle

In addition to factors such as excessive exercise and strict diets, which can lead to irregular or absent menstrual cycles (known as amenorrhoea), iron deficiency also has an impact on the menstrual cycle.

A pronounced iron deficiency can lead to a reduction in the intensity or even complete absence of menstruation. In such cases, it is important to seek medical advice in order to restore and maintain the iron balance.

7. Conclusion

Menstruation can have a significant impact on a woman's iron balance, especially with heavy or prolonged bleeding. It is important to ensure an adequate iron supply to avoid iron deficiency and its effects.
A balanced, iron-rich diet, regular iron status checks and, if necessary, iron supplementation are crucial for maintaining healthy iron levels.
With heavy menstruation and some of our modern eating habits, it is difficult to get enough iron without supplementation. To prevent a deficiency, microencapsulated iron such as AndreaFer® Iron Sticks is particularly suitable.
You can obtain a complete three-month iron cure with AndreaFer® from our shop with a 22% discount.