If you’re constantly feeling tired, anxious, hormones are not balanced, or don’t quite ‘feel yourself’, nutrient deficiencies may be at the root. Many women today are unknowingly depleted in key vitamins and minerals due to stress, modern diets, gut health issues, and lifestyle factors. In this guide, we’ll walk through the most common nutrient deficiencies in women, including symptoms, root causes, and natural ways to restore balance. Let’s dive in!
Magnesium Deficiency – The Mineral of Calm & Resilience
Magnesium plays a role in over 300 processes in the body, including stress regulation, sleep, hormone balance, and muscle relaxation.
Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include anxiety or irritability, poor sleep or insomnia, muscle cramps, twitching or tension, PMS and hormonal symptoms, and headaches or migraines.
Magnesium deficiency can be caused by:
- Chronic stress (a major driver of depletion)
- High caffeine intake
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Nutrient-poor soil and food supply
- Hormonal birth control
Ways to increase magnesium naturally:
- Eat magnesium-rich foods: leafy greens, pumpkin seeds, almonds, and dark chocolate
- Take magnesium salt baths
- Use topical magnesium cream – we especially love applying at night to support sleep, both for ourselves and restless kiddos
If additional support is needed, magnesium supplementation can be a wonderful way to increase levels more quickly to support the body through healing. Our favorites can be found here.
Vitamin D Deficiency – The Hormone-Like Nutrient
Vitamin D is a superstar! It’s a major player in immune health, mood, bone strength, hormone function, among many others. And we deficiency not just in women, but children and men, too!
Symptoms of low vitamin D can include fatigue, low mood or seasonal depression, frequent illness, and hormonal imbalances.
Common causes include:
- Lack of sun exposure
- Indoor lifestyles
- Overuse of sunscreen, blocking absorption
- Gut or liver issues
How we increase vitamin D naturally:
- Getting daily sunlight exposure – at least 20-30 minutes of direct sun to the skin (this amount of time is often not enough to maintain healthy D levels!)
- Eat foods rich in vitamin D like fatty fish, egg yolks, and liver
Many people do need supplementation with vitamin D, particularly those that live in the north, where daily sun exposure and time outdoors tends to be less. Having your vitamin D level checked annually is important to better understand your individual needs.
If supplementation is needed to boost or maintain a healthy vitamin D level, we prefer liquid vitamin D3/K2 supplementation for optimal absorption.
Vitamin B12 & Folate – Energy and Methylation Support
B12 and folate are critical for energy production, brain function & nervous system health, DNA synthesis, red blood cell formation, in pregnancy and for fetal development.
Common symptoms of B12 deficiency can include fatigue or weakness, brain fog, mood changes or depression, and/or tingling in hands & feet.
Common causes of deficiency:
- Low intake of animal products
- Poor gut absorption
- Chronic stress
- Genetic factors (like MTHFR variations)
- Alcohol use
- Certain medications (acid blockers, metformin, birth control, and certain antidepressants, to name a few)
How we increase B12 and folate naturally:
- Eat animal-based foods (meat, eggs, fish) for B12
- Eat leafy greens, lentils, asparagus, and avocado for folate
- Support gut health
- Limit/avoid alcohol
- Reduce stress where able
Supplementation can be extremely supportive when low levels are found, especially for women! It is also important to mention that supplementing with FOLIC ACID is not optimal. Folic acid is synthetic – our bodies have to convert folic acid into the active form (5-MTHF, methylfolate). Conversion is not efficient is a great majority of the population, especially those with MTHFR genetic mutations. This conundrum can be avoided looking for quality supplements containing FOLATE. Find our favorites here.
Ferritin (Iron Deficiency) – The Foundation of Energy
Ferritin reflects your body’s stored iron, which is essential for energy, oxygen transport, thyroid health, and hair growth – a major player in us feeling GOOD!
Symptoms of low iron in women can include extreme fatigue or brain fog, poor hair/skin/nail growth, dizziness or light-headedness, cold intolerance, shortness of breath, thyroid dysfunction, worsened PMS symptoms, heavy menstrual cycles, and general feelings of weakness.
Common causes of low ferritin:
- Heavy menstrual cycles
- Pregnancy or postpartum depletion
- Low dietary intake
- Poor absorption (gut health issues)
How to increase iron naturally:
- Eat iron-rich foods: red meat, liver, spinach, lentils
- Pair with vitamin C for better absorption
- Avoid coffee and tea with meals
- Use cast iron cookware
Not all iron supplements are created equal! Those paired with vitamin C (for optimal absorption) and use iron bisglycinate, which is a gentle and well-absorbed form, are good options.
Omega-3 Deficiency in Women – The Anti-Inflammatory Essential
Omega-3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, support brain health & cardiovascular function, balance hormones, improve skin health, and is critical for pregnancy and fetal development.
Symptoms of omega-3 deficiency can include dry skin or hair, brain fog, mood swings, joint pain and stiffness, and hormonal imbalance.
Common causes of omega deficiency:
- Low intake of fatty fish & other whole food sources like flax & chia seeds and walnuts
- High intake of processed seed oils & the modern diet
- Chronic inflammation
- Poor conversion, especially in plant-based diets
- Chronic stress
- Poor absorption/gut health issues
How to increase omega-3 naturally:
- Eat fatty fish (salmon, sardines, mackerel) 2–3 times per week
- Add chia seeds, flaxseeds, and walnuts
- Reduce processed oils
- Reduce omega-6 overload (soybean, corn & canola oils, processed foods)
- Anti-inflammatory lifestyle (quality sleep, stress regulation)
Due to sourcing, quality is important in the world of omega-3 supplements. Look for high-quality fish oils rich in EPA & DHA, from wild-caught sources, and third-party tested for freshness, potency and purity.
Why Nutrient Deficiencies Are So Common in Women
Many deficiencies are not just about what you eat; they’re about what your body can absorb and retain.
Common contributing factors in having nutrient deficiencies can include:
- Chronic stress
- Gut health imbalances
- Hormonal changes
- Medications
- Blood sugar instability
- Lack of nutrients in the diet
Taking a root-cause, holistic approach is key to long-term healing.
Supporting Your Body Holistically
If you’ve been dealing with persistent fatigue, mood changes, or hormone imbalances, nutrient deficiencies may be an underlying factor.
The goal isn’t just supplementation – it’s rebuilding your foundation through whole, nutrient-dense foods, healthy digestion, nervous system support, and intentional lifestyle habits.
When the body is properly nourished, it has an incredible ability to heal and rebalance.
This article is grounded in current research from peer-reviewed journals and clinical nutrition resources.
Sources:
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Vitamin D Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Vitamin B12 Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Folate Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/
Camaschella, C. (2015). Iron-deficiency anemia. New England Journal of Medicine, 372(19), 1832–1843. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra1401038
National Institutes of Health, Office of Dietary Supplements. (2022). Iron Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Retrieved from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
Calder, P. C. (2015). Marine omega-3 fatty acids and inflammatory processes: Effects, mechanisms and clinical relevance. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) – Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1851(4), 469–484. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbalip.2014.08.010
Holick, M. F. (2007). Vitamin D deficiency. New England Journal of Medicine, 357(3), 266–281. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra070553
O’Leary, F., & Samman, S. (2010). Vitamin B12 in health and disease. Nutrients, 2(3), 299–316. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu2030299
Gröber, U., Schmidt, J., & Kisters, K. (2015). Magnesium in prevention and therapy. Nutrients, 7(9), 8199–8226. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu7095388
