Here’s a number that might surprise you:
Nearly 57% of Indian women between the ages of 15–49 are iron deficient*.
That’s more than one in two women.
When we first heard this, we thought — surely not.
But if you look around you, you’ll see it too. Roommates constantly tired even after eight hours of sleep. Aunts dealing with hair fall and brittle nails. Friends who thought dizziness was just part of a “busy lifestyle.” Moms brushing off fatigue as “normal.”
Turns out, it wasn’t just them. And it’s not just you either.
Iron deficiency in women in India is everywhere.
Why does it happen so often?
Part of it comes down to our diets. We eat a lot of cereals, but not enough iron-rich foods like leafy greens, legumes, seeds, or fortified products. Many women lose iron every month through their menstrual cycle. During pregnancy and breastfeeding, the body needs even more iron, but those needs often go unmet.
And then there’s the silence. We’re told “it’ll pass” or “everyone feels this way.” But that tiredness? The brain fog? The constant low energy? They’re not things you just have to live with. Maybe they’re signs of iron deficiency anemia in women.
What does iron deficiency feel like?
It doesn’t always show up in obvious ways. For some women, it’s endless fatigue. For others, shortness of breath while climbing stairs, dizziness out of nowhere, or frequent illnesses. Even brittle nails and hair fall can point to iron deficiency anemia.
How can you take care of it?
The good news is, small changes add up.
Eating iron-rich foods for women; like spinach, ragi, beetroot, jaggery, red meat, legumes, and seeds can help. Pairing these with Vitamin C foods (like oranges, tomatoes, or amla) makes absorption better. Cutting down tea or coffee with meals helps too.
And sometimes, diet alone isn’t enough. That’s when doctors recommend iron supplements or iron capsules. Getting a simple blood test can show if your hemoglobin is low, so you don’t have to guess.
Why this matters
When more than half of Indian women are struggling with iron deficiency, it’s not something we can keep ignoring. Women deserve to feel healthy, strong, and energized—not just “okay enough to get through the day.”
Because feeling good shouldn’t be a rare thing. It should be a har roz thing.
*National Family Health Survey-5 (NFHS-5)
