Iron: it's both a powerhouse mineral we literally can't live without and the most common nutrient deficiency in the world. Responsible for moving oxygen around your bloodstream, keeping your energy levels up and your brain firing on all cylinders - when we don't have enough iron on board the sluggish feeling hits hard.

Fact: People with periods need more iron

While men and post-menopausal women need around 8mg of iron each day, those of us that bleed for a few days each month need a hefty 18mg. Why? Because when you're losing blood, you're losing iron.

And some of us need even more iron

As well as having a period, there are other factors that can increase your need for iron:

• Your periods are on the heavier side: The more blood we lose, the more iron we lose with it. In what is quite frankly a downright mean move from mother nature, low iron levels can also lead to heavier periods — a vicious cycle that can be hard to break.
• You've got a baby on board: Iron needs jump up to a whopping 27mg per day in pregnancy to cater to the increased blood volume in your body and an iron-hungry baby building up its own iron stores.
• You're in your running era: Runners, cyclists, stair-master-enthusiasts or anyone who works up a sweat regularly also has an increased need for iron due to demands in the body for red blood cell production and iron lost in sweat. Yes, you read that right — we sweat iron.
• You're a vegetarian or vegan eater: While you can get iron from plants, it isn't absorbed nearly as efficiently as iron from animal sources. Gram for gram you need to consume a lot more of this non-heme iron to maintain or increase your levels.

How do I know if I'm getting enough?

Signs of iron deficiency can include:

• A tiredness no amount of sleep seems to fix
• Pale skin
• Feeling dizzy or lightheaded
• Weakness and shortness of breath
• Headaches
• Irritability
• Brain fog and trouble concentrating
• Brittle hair and nails

Thankfully, iron is one of the few nutrients that can be easily and accurately measured in the body through a simple blood test ordered by your GP.

Not all iron supplements are created equally…

Feeling dizzy, cranky and struggling to make it through the day without a 3pm nap isn't cute. If your levels are on the lower side, or you tick more than one of the boxes mentioned above, supplementation can be really helpful — and actually quite necessary — to get your iron up and have you feeling more human again.

Unfortunately, many prescription and over-the-counter iron supplements contain cheaper, low-quality forms of iron that leave you constipated and sworn off iron supps for life.

Enter A Juicy Dose of Iron—our answer to your iron deficiency woes with 24mg of gentle, gut-friendly Iron bisglycinate and added Vitamin D3 to further support absorption.

Your best energy levels are ripe for the taking.