Ferritin is a protein in the body that helps store iron in the body. Ferritin levels may drop if you are deficient in iron or nutrients. In addition, there are several medical conditions and chronic diseases that cause low ferritin levels. Although low ferritin levels can cause health problems, usually ferritin levels can be increased easily. By determining the health problems suffered, taking supplements, and adjusting the diet, the body's ferritin levels can be increased.
Step
Part 1 of 3: Determining the Cause of Low Ferritin Levels
Step 1. Consult a doctor
Before taking steps to increase your body's ferritin levels, talk to your doctor first. Your doctor will ask about your personal and family medical history, and whether you have any symptoms associated with low ferritin levels. Symptoms of low ferritin levels include:
- Fatigue
- Headache
- Irritability
- Hair loss
- Brittle fingernails
- Short breath
Step 2. Test the iron level in the body
Since the iron has been absorbed by the body's tissues, the first thing the doctor will do is measure the level of ferritin in the body. This way, the doctor will know whether the iron intake in the body is not enough or if you have a condition that inhibits the absorption of iron in the blood.
Step 3. Check ferritin levels in the body
Your doctor will also measure your body's ferritin level. If you don't have enough iron, your body may absorb it from your tissues, lowering ferritin levels. Therefore, tests for ferritin and iron levels are often done together.
- Ferritin levels in the body should be between 30 and 40 ng/ml. A ferritin level below 20 ng/ml is considered a mild deficiency. If the number is below 10 ng/ml, you are considered ferritin deficient.
- Some laboratories use unique procedures that affect how ferritin levels and ranges are reported in the body. So talk to your doctor to interpret your test results.
Step 4. Take an iron binding capacity test
This test will measure the maximum amount of iron your body can store. This way, doctors can find out if the liver and other organs are functioning normally. Otherwise, low levels of ferritin and iron can result in a bigger problem.
Step 5. Check if you have a serious medical condition
After consulting and running blood tests, your doctor will determine if you have a serious medical condition that causes low ferritin levels or blocks your body's ability to raise them. Conditions that impact ferritin or treatment levels in your body include:
- Anemia
- Cancer
- Kidney illness
- Hepatitis
- Gastric ulcers (sores in the stomach)
- Enzyme disorders
Part 2 of 3: Taking Supplements
Step 1. Take iron supplements
If you have a mild or moderate deficiency, your doctor will order you to take an iron supplement. You can buy them at supermarkets or pharmacies. Follow the instructions for use on the package or as directed by your doctor. Usually, iron supplements will raise iron and ferritin levels within a few weeks.
- Iron supplements can cause various side effects, including backache, chills, dizziness, headache, and nausea.
- Supplements should be taken with a glass of orange juice because vitamin C increases the absorption of iron in the blood.
- Do not take iron supplements with milk, caffeine, or calcium supplements because they can reduce the absorption of iron in the body.
Step 2. Get vitamin injections and intravenous treatments
If you have a severe enough deficiency, have recently lost a lot of blood, or have a body condition that blocks the absorption of iron, your doctor may prescribe injections or infusions. You can receive injections of iron directly into the bloodstream, or injections of B12 that help with iron absorption. In severe cases, your doctor may give you a transfusion to quickly restore iron levels.
- Injections or infusions are only used if other attempts to increase ferritin and iron levels have failed.
- Iron injections have similar side effects to iron supplements.
Step 3. Rely on prescription drugs and supplements
There are several types of drugs designed to increase the levels of iron and ferritin in the human body. Your doctor will prescribe these medications and supplements if you have a condition that blocks the absorption or storage of iron in the body. Some of these medications and supplements include:
- Iron sulfate
- Iron gluconate
- Fumarate iron
- Carbonyl iron
- Complex iron dextran
Part 3 of 3: Adjusting the Diet
Step 1. Increase consumption of meat
Meat, especially red meat, is probably the best source of iron available. Meat is not only rich in iron, but the human body also more easily absorbs iron from meat. As a result, you can increase your iron and ferritin levels by eating more meat. The best meats for increasing iron levels include:
- Cow
- Sheep
- Heart
- Shell
- Egg
Step 2. Consume plant-based products that contain iron
Besides meat, there are many types of plants that are rich in iron. These various plant products will help increase ferritin levels in the blood. However, don't forget that you usually need to eat twice the amount of plant-based products as meat to get the same iron intake. Plant-based products rich in iron include:
- Spinach
- Wheat
- Oatmeal
- Nuts
- Rice (which has been enriched)
- Beans
Step 3. Consider limiting foods and minerals that make it difficult for the body to absorb iron
Certain foods and minerals can make it difficult for the body to absorb iron. However, that does not mean you need to stop eating foods and minerals. You simply reduce your intake of the following foods:
- Red wine
- Coffee
- Black and green tea
- Non-fermented soybeans
- Milk
- Calcium
- Magnesium
- Zinc (zinc)
- Copper
