An underdiagnosed deficiency of an essential mineral may be contributing to fatigue, brain fog and concentration problems in almost 1 in 4 adolescent girls and young women worldwide.

Almost 40% of American teenage girls and young women had low levels of iron, an important mineral needed to make red blood cells. The CDC (Center for Disease Control) recommends a blood test for anemia every five to 10 years for women of reproductive age, but doctors don’t typically screen for iron deficiency.

Often girls and young women don’t realize that what they’re feeling is a sign of an iron deficiency because the symptoms can be subtle or can be dismissed as being due to other problems like poor sleep or stress. Symptoms of iron deficiency include:

Menstruation is a risk factor, although iron deficiency is noticed in about 25% of the girls who hadn't started their periods. Women and girls lose a lot of iron when they have heavy periods, but even when bleeding is in the normal range, iron stores can be depleted.

There are significant consequences especially in the adolescent age cohort where fatigue and poor concentration can lead to poor school performance. And poor athletic performance can lead to changes in how girls think about exercise. Many girls with heavy periods — which experts blame for especially low ferritin levels — don’t know it’s not normal because of stigma and discomfort talking about their periods.

The teenage years for both boys and girls are high growth phase where alongwith changes brought about by puberty, the body rapidly increases body mass, height & weight. Iron plays and important role in this growth.

Check with your doctor if any of the above symptoms occur.