I see a lot of women in my practice, and most of them are low in iron. While the most common symptom of low iron is feeling tired all the time, it can also contribute to many other complaints such as headaches, difficulty concentrating, easy bruising, hair loss, feeling irritable, painful periods, and difficulty maintaining body temperature. Iron is a mineral that carries oxygen to all the cells, tissues, and organs in our body. Without enough oxygen, our body becomes fatigued, it’s harder to concentrate, and our pain threshold is lower. Iron is also necessary to maintain healthy skin, hair and nails. Women are more susceptible to low iron because they lose blood each month during their menstrual cycle. Vegetarians are also susceptible because the iron from meat, chicken and fish is absorbed more efficiently than iron from plants. If you’re concerned that your iron levels might be low, have them checked by your doctor. A combination of diet and iron supplementation can go a long way to getting your levels back up!