42% of women aged 30–49 aren't getting enough of this
There is one essential nutrient that a surprisingly large number of Australian women may not be getting enough of through their diet.
And if you're a woman aged between 30 and 49, the latest Australian data is particularly interesting.
42.2% of Australian women aged 30–49 had an inadequate usual intake of iron in 2023.
That's more than 4 in every 10 women in this age group.
And iron isn't some obscure nutrient we rarely need to think about.
It plays an essential role in transporting oxygen around your body and supports normal energy, muscle and cognitive function.
So why are so many women falling short?
And how can you get more iron through the foods you eat?
The nutrient is iron
New Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) nutrition data found a significant difference between the iron intake of Australian men and women.
Overall, 26.8% of females had inadequate dietary iron intake compared with just 8.2% of males.
But when the ABS looked at women by age, some of the numbers were even more striking.
Among females:
- 37.2% of girls aged 12–17 had inadequate iron intake
- 47.7% of women aged 18–29 had inadequate iron intake
- 42.2% of women aged 30–49 had inadequate iron intake
After age 50, the proportion dropped substantially.
Why?
One major factor is that women in their menstruating years have greater iron requirements.
Important: this doesn't mean 42% of women are iron deficient
This distinction is really important.
The ABS finding does not mean 42.2% of Australian women aged 30–49 have iron deficiency.
It means their estimated usual dietary intake of iron was inadequate relative to their nutritional requirements.
Dietary iron intake and diagnosed iron deficiency are not the same thing.
Iron deficiency occurs when there isn't enough iron in the body and should be appropriately diagnosed, usually through blood tests.
But the ABS data does tell us something important:
A significant proportion of Australian women may not be consuming enough iron through their diet to meet their requirements.
Why do women aged 30–49 need more iron?
Menstruation is a major part of the explanation.
Iron is lost through blood, which means women who have periods generally need more dietary iron than men and postmenopausal women.
Australian recommendations suggest women aged 19–50 generally need around 18mg of iron per day.
For adult men, the recommendation is 8mg per day.
After age 50, the recommendation for women generally reduces to 8mg per day.
During pregnancy, iron requirements increase significantly to 27mg per day.
This means women can be eating a relatively healthy diet and still need to pay attention to whether they're including enough iron-rich foods.
Why does your body need iron?
Iron has several important jobs.
Perhaps the best known involves haemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells.
Haemoglobin helps transport oxygen from your lungs around your body.
Iron is also important for muscle function, energy and cognitive function.
When your body doesn't have enough iron, you may eventually develop iron deficiency and potentially iron-deficiency anaemia.
What are the symptoms of low iron in women?
This is where things become tricky.
Some symptoms associated with iron deficiency can sound remarkably similar to how many busy women describe everyday life.
They can include:
- Feeling tired or weak
- Feeling dizzy or light-headed
- Shortness of breath
- Difficulty concentrating
- Poor memory
- Reduced exercise or work performance
- Pale skin
- Irritability
But experiencing these symptoms doesn't automatically mean you have low iron.
Fatigue, for example, can have many different causes.
That's why it's not a good idea to diagnose yourself from a symptom checklist.
If you're concerned about your iron levels, speak to your doctor and have them appropriately tested.
Heavy periods can increase the risk of low iron
For women in their 30s and 40s, there's another important consideration.
Heavy menstrual bleeding can contribute to iron deficiency.
The more blood you lose, the more iron you lose too.
And this can become particularly relevant during the perimenopausal years, when some women experience changes to their menstrual cycle, including heavier or more frequent periods.
If your periods have become unusually heavy or you're experiencing symptoms such as persistent fatigue, weakness, dizziness or shortness of breath, it's worth discussing this with your doctor.
Don't simply assume it's "just perimenopause".
Are you getting enough iron from your food?
Iron comes in two main dietary forms.
Haem iron
Haem iron is found in animal foods and is more readily absorbed by the body.
Sources include:
- Beef
- Lamb
- Kangaroo
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Sardines
- Tuna
- Other seafood
Non-haem iron
Non-haem iron is found predominantly in plant foods and isn't absorbed as readily.
Sources include:
- Lentils
- Chickpeas
- Beans
- Tofu
- Spinach and leafy greens
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Dried fruit
- Wholegrain breads and cereals
- Iron-fortified foods
You don't need to eat meat to consume iron, but women following vegetarian or vegan diets need to pay particular attention to obtaining sufficient iron from plant-based sources.
Vitamin C can help you absorb more iron
Here's a simple nutrition strategy that's worth knowing.
Vitamin C can improve the absorption of non-haem iron.
So rather than thinking about nutrients completely independently, think about how you combine foods.
Try pairing plant-based iron sources with vitamin C-rich foods such as:
- Capsicum
- Tomatoes
- Kiwi fruit
- Berries
- Citrus fruits
- Broccoli
- Green leafy vegetables
For example, add capsicum and tomato to a chickpea salad or have berries alongside an iron-containing breakfast.
Your morning coffee could affect iron absorption
This doesn't mean you have to give up coffee!
But if you're actively trying to increase your iron intake, it's useful to know that tea and coffee can reduce the absorption of non-haem iron when consumed around meals.
Calcium can also interfere with iron absorption when consumed at the same time.
If you've been diagnosed with iron deficiency, your doctor or dietitian can advise you on the best timing of foods, drinks and any prescribed supplements.
What about iron during perimenopause?
Women in their 40s can find themselves in an interesting nutritional transition.
You're approaching menopause, but if you're still menstruating, particularly if you're experiencing heavy periods, iron remains an important nutrient to consider.
At the same time, other nutrients and health priorities become increasingly important too.
Protein.
Calcium.
Vitamin D.
Fibre.
Muscle.
Bone health.
Gut health.
This is why we don't believe women's nutrition after 40 should simply revolve around eating fewer calories to prevent weight gain.
We need to think about what we're actually nourishing our bodies with.
Protein gets lots of attention. But don't forget micronutrients.
We're big advocates of women consuming adequate protein at Zing Wellbeing.
Protein becomes increasingly important when we're strength training and trying to maintain lean muscle as we get older.
But protein isn't the whole nutrition story.
You could hit your protein target every day and still have a diet lacking in other important nutrients.
That's why it's important to think about both macronutrients and micronutrients.
Protein, carbohydrates and fats matter.
But so do iron, calcium, vitamin D, B vitamins and many other vitamins and minerals.
A healthy diet isn't simply about hitting one number.
The Zing Wellbeing Wellness Smoothie contains iron too
This whole-food-first approach to nutrition is also why we look beyond protein when developing products for women.
The Zing Wellbeing Wellness Smoothie provides 32g of protein per serve, but protein isn't the only nutrient it provides.
It also contains iron, helping contribute towards your daily dietary iron intake as part of a varied, balanced diet.
It has 4.75mg which is 40% of the RDI in just ONE serve!
You can see it in the shop here
This can be particularly useful for women who want an easy way to add protein and additional nutrition to their day.
But there's an important distinction.
The Wellness Smoothie is a food product, not a treatment for iron deficiency.
If you've been diagnosed with iron deficiency or iron-deficiency anaemia, don't replace treatment recommended by your doctor with a smoothie, supplement or dietary change without discussing it with them first.
Should you just take an iron supplement?
Not necessarily.
Iron is one nutrient where more isn't automatically better.
If you think you might have low iron, the first step shouldn't be grabbing the highest-dose iron supplement you can find.
Speak with your doctor.
Healthdirect advises seeing your doctor if you think you may have low iron and checking with them before taking iron supplements.
Your doctor can arrange blood tests and, importantly, investigate why your iron may be low.
Because inadequate dietary intake is only one possible reason.
Why might someone become iron deficient?
There are several possible causes.
Not consuming enough iron
If your diet doesn't contain enough iron to meet your body's requirements, your iron stores can eventually become depleted.
Menstrual blood loss
Women who experience periods, particularly heavy periods, may lose significant amounts of iron through blood.
Pregnancy
Iron requirements increase considerably during pregnancy.
Problems absorbing iron
Certain gastrointestinal conditions, including coeliac disease and inflammatory bowel disease, can interfere with iron absorption.
Other blood loss
Bleeding from the gastrointestinal tract and other sources of blood loss can also lead to iron deficiency.
This is precisely why persistent low iron shouldn't simply be treated as a dietary problem without investigating the underlying cause.
How do you know if you actually have low iron?
You can't reliably diagnose iron deficiency based on how you feel.
The reliable way to determine whether you're iron deficient is through appropriate blood testing organised by your healthcare professional.
Your doctor may investigate measures including iron stores and haemoglobin and determine whether further investigation is necessary.
So if you've been exhausted for months, feel unusually weak or breathless, experience very heavy periods or are otherwise concerned about your iron levels, don't just assume it's normal.
Get it checked.
7 simple ways to increase dietary iron
If you simply want to improve the nutritional quality of your diet, there are plenty of ways to include more iron-containing foods.
- Include lean red meat regularly if you eat meat.
- Add lentils or beans to soups, salads, curries and pasta dishes.
- Include eggs as part of your meals.
- Try tofu or tempeh in stir-fries.
- Add nuts and seeds to breakfasts and snacks.
- Pair plant-based iron sources with vitamin C-rich fruit and vegetables.
- Look at your diet across the entire week rather than relying on one individual "superfood".
And remember, you don't need to completely overhaul the way you eat.
Small nutritional improvements made consistently can add up.
42% is a statistic Australian women should know
We hear constantly about what women should eat less of.
Less sugar.
Fewer calories.
Less fat.
Smaller portions.
But perhaps we also need to talk more about what women aren't getting enough of.
According to the latest ABS data, 42.2% of Australian women aged 30–49 had inadequate usual dietary iron intake in 2023.
That's more than 4 in 10 women.
It doesn't mean 42% have iron deficiency.
But it does raise an important question for all of us:
Are we concentrating so much on eating less that we've forgotten to make sure we're getting enough of the nutrients our bodies actually need?
Healthy eating isn't just about restriction.
It's about nourishment.
And sometimes the nutrients we can't see deserve just as much attention as the calories we can count.
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This article provides general nutrition information only and is not intended to diagnose or treat iron deficiency, anaemia or another medical condition. If you're concerned about your iron levels, menstrual bleeding or symptoms, speak with your doctor or appropriately qualified healthcare professional.