During menstruation, especially if you have a heavy discharge, you may be more tired than on other days of the cycle. This is the time when there’s little estrogen in your blood, it only starts out at its lowest point, so you may change your daily habits to “I’d better stay at home” and lead to low levels of energy.

Did you know you also lose more iron these days. Iron is a mineral responsible for transportation of oxygen in your body. Long and heavy menstruation together with poor diet may lead to iron deficiency and anemia that may cause weakness and fatigue.

No worry, it’s in your power to deal with this, and we’ll help you with a piece of advice.

Your body needs 17.0–18.9 mg of iron per day on average. If you’re aged 12-19 years, then your daily dose is 16.3 mg /day. So you can take it from any of these main sources of iron that will help you to get rid of menstruation-related fatigue & avoid iron deficiency:

1. Breakfast cereals

2. Canned white beans

3. Dark chocolate

4. Boiled and drained spinach

5. Firm tofu

6. Canned tomatoes

7. Baked potato

8. Cashew nuts

9. Green peas

10. Dried  raisins & apricots

11. Other products rich in iron

12. Iron food supplements

Remember to log your symptoms with the MIA app to track your well-being and cycle changes from month to month and get useful information approved by our certified doctors.

Sources:

Why You Should Not Ignore Tiredness during Your Period, London Women's Centre

Menstrual Cycles and Iron Levels, National Institute of Health