Anemia vs Iron Deficiency: What every woman needs to know

Many women in midlife struggle with low energy, brain fog, or that constant sense of fatigue that doesn’t seem to go away no matter how much you rest. Two common culprits are iron deficiency and anemia. They’re related, but not the same thing — and understanding the difference is the first step to supporting your health.

Iron deficiency happens when your body doesn’t have enough iron stored. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout your body.

Anemia means your blood doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to deliver oxygen effectively.

Think of it this way: you can have iron deficiency without anemia (low stores, but your blood still functions), but if iron deficiency gets severe enough, it can progress into iron deficiency anemia.

Iron Deficiency (without anemia) may cause:

• Fatigue or feeling “run down”

• Brain fog and trouble focusing

• Cold hands and feet

• Brittle nails or hair thinning

• Restless legs at night

Iron Deficiency Anemia may cause more intense symptoms, such as:

• Extreme fatigue and weakness

• Shortness of breath, especially with activity

• Pale skin or inside of eyelids

• Rapid heartbeat or heart palpitations

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Headaches

Women in their 40s and 50s often experience unique hormonal shifts and lifestyle changes that make iron balance more challenging:

• Heavy or irregular periods during perimenopause can lead to ongoing blood loss.

• Lower stomach acid with age reduces the ability to absorb nutrients, including iron.

• Dietary shifts (less red meat, more plant-based eating) may reduce iron intake.

• Chronic stress and adrenal changes can also affect digestion and nutrient absorption.

You may wonder: If I’m taking an iron supplement, why am I still low? Several factors can block absorption:

• Low stomach acid (common with age, acid-reducing medications, or chronic stress)

• Nutrient deficiencies — vitamin C, folate, or B12 are needed to utilize iron properly

• Gut health issues such as inflammation, celiac disease, or IBS

• Interactions with food or drinks — coffee, tea, dairy, and calcium can all reduce iron absorption when taken too close to supplements

The good news is, there are steps you can take beyond supplements:

1. Pair iron-rich foods with vitamin C (spinach + lemon, beans + bell peppers) to boost absorption.

2. Limit iron blockers like tea, coffee, and calcium-rich foods around iron intake (give it a 1–2 hour window).

3. Support digestion with mindful eating, stress management, and probiotics if needed.

4. Check your B vitamins (B12 and folate, especially) — they’re critical for red blood cell production.

5. Choose the right form of iron — some women do better with heme iron (animal-based) or more gentle forms like iron bisglycinate.

6. Talk to your healthcare provider before supplementing — too much iron can be harmful if not needed.

The Takeaway

Iron deficiency and anemia are common in midlife women, but they’re not identical. By recognizing the symptoms early and making strategic choices in diet, supplementation, and lifestyle, you can better support your energy and focus during this important stage of life.

From overwhelmed to empowered!

Have you ever scoured the internet for a solution to a health issue just to be overwhelmed by all the conflicting information out there? I know I have, and it was both frustrating and anxiety-inducing.

If you search causes for chronic fatigue in women, AI helps narrow it down a bit these days to a laundry list of eight to ten top causes, such as anemia, thyroid disorders, anxiety, or depression, but is that really helpful? I guess a bit, since you can dig into each of these in more detail and then ask for appropriate tests from your doctor. But what if you had a baseline knowledge about how a woman’s body ages, especially through the menopause transition, to help reduce some of the angst around having a symptom that’s been plaguing you? A recent study suggests that almost half (46%) of perimenopausal women and a whopping 85% of postmenopausal women experience fatigue. This is a significant increase from less than 20% of premenopausal women with the symptom (Geng, 2021). Causes can range from sleep disturbances due to other menopause symptoms or medical conditions, such as hot flushes or sleep apnea, as well as dysregulation in a variety of hormones.

So you’re likely asking yourself, K cool, those are some nice stats, but how does reading your blog help me go from feeling overwhelmed to empowered? Let me tell you, my friend. In my weekly blog, I am going to tackle some of the main symptoms experienced by women as we age, through our 30s, 40s, 50s and beyond, from hormonal changes that can lead to hot flushes and mood changes, to physical changes like decreased muscle mass, bone density loss, and so much more. As a former engineer and analyst in the Canadian Armed Forces, I’ll use my research and analytical abilities, as well as my knack for transforming tons of complex information into simple, straightforward, and useful facts, to help you make informed decisions about your health. Knowledge + Intention = Power. I’ll help with the knowledge piece to help guide your intentions (direction or purpose) for positive health changes, which will give you the power to take action and reach for your goals. This informative blog is my thanks to you for helping me realize my vision and get my message out there 😊, so please pay it forward to any other person that you think would benefit.

Thanks for reading and being awesome. Here’s my closing tagline that I will hammer home every post to remind you that caring for yourself is not selfish, self-indulgent, or self-centered, it is self-compassion and you are worthy of the care and attention that you show everyone else.

Be kind to yourself.

Kristen

Reference:

Geng, C. (2021, October 7). Menopause fatigue: Causes, treatment, and supplements. Medical News Today. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/menopause-fatigue