Why so many women in their 30s and 40s are quietly nutrient depleted
Many women in their late 30s or 40s find themselves feeling flat, tired or run down, even though they eat well and look after themselves. Blood tests often come back “normal”, so they’re left wondering whether this is just stress, ageing or something they need to push through.
In clinic, I see this pattern all the time. It’s not a dramatic deficiency. It’s slow, cumulative nutrient depletion that builds over years and finally starts to show up as symptoms.
Why nutrient depletion builds over time
Most women don’t suddenly become depleted. It happens gradually.
This stage of life places unique demands on the body. Pregnancy, breastfeeding, interrupted sleep, chronic stress, busy work and family life, dieting or periods of restriction, frequent illness, intense exercise or long stretches of running on adrenaline. Each of these increases nutrient demand and when recovery time is short and needs aren’t fully met, reserves slowly decline.
You can be eating well and still not fully meeting your needs, especially if digestion or absorption has changed along the way.
Why blood tests look “normal” while you feel anything but.
Standard blood tests are designed to detect deficiency, not early depletion. Your body is very good at protecting blood levels, often at the expense of tissue stores. That means you can have symptoms long before results fall outside reference ranges.
Iron, vitamin B12, zinc and magnesium are common examples. Levels may sit in the low or mid-normal range while symptoms like fatigue, poor concentration, frequent infections or low mood creep in.
Being told everything is normal doesn’t mean nothing is going on. It often means you’re catching the issue early, before it becomes more severe.
Common signs of nutrient depletion in women
Nutrient depletion doesn’t look the same for everyone, but some patterns come up repeatedly.
Fatigue that doesn’t improve with sleep
Feeling flat or low in motivation
Poor concentration or brain fog
Frequent colds or slow recovery from illness
Hair thinning, brittle nails or skin changes
Reduced exercise tolerance or longer recovery time
Mood changes that don’t quite make sense
These symptoms are often subtle at first and easy to dismiss, especially when life is busy.
Why eating well isn’t always enough
This is an important point, because many women blame themselves unnecessarily.
Eating well is essential, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee adequate levels of nutrients. Factors like poor absorption, digestive issues, low stomach acid, gut inflammation, food intolerances and chronic stress can all reduce how well nutrients are absorbed.
Women who are busy, not very hungry, or trying to manage weight may reduce their portion sizes, and some women eating very “clean” or restricted diets may unknowingly fall short on certain nutrients as food variety becomes more limited.
What to do if this resonates with you
The answer is not to assume something is “wrong” or to start blindly supplementing.
The first step is recognising that your symptoms matter, even if you have been told by your GP that your blood test results are “normal”. A thorough review of nutrient status, diet, absorption and life-stage demands is often needed.
Strategies might involve adjusting food choices, improving digestion, comparing your blood test results with the optimal ranges (based on the healthy population), and targeted supplementation where appropriate.
If you think you would benefit from a nutritional assessment, I encourage you to book in for a consultation or free discovery call. I would love to help you get back on the path to optimal health!