How to Raise Ferritin Levels Naturally

Before we can dive into Functional Medicine strategies for optimizing ferritin, we need to get on the same page about what it is and why it matters.

Because it does matter - a lot - despite the fact that your doctor might not be paying attention to it or even measuring it. Here’s what you need to know.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your cells, safely transports it in the blood, and releases it when your body needs more iron - you know, to do important stuff like make the red blood cells that carry oxygen to every cell and system of your body.

We need this ferritin protein because, while iron is a super helpful micronutrient for your body, free iron is actually toxic to your cells, so it needs to be bound up or buffered when it’s stored.

That’s ferritin’s job - to keep a reserve of iron that’s ready to go when your body needs it without exposing your cells to harmful free iron. So when we measure your levels of ferritin in the blood plasma, we get a sense for how much of a “backup stash” of iron your body has at it’s disposal - as opposed to measuring iron in your blood directly (which is more common than measuring ferritin).

Even if your iron blood test comes back within the normal range, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you have enough reserve iron - stored in ferritin - to maintain all the functions of your body that require it.

We call this latent iron depletion, and it can result in a whole host of common symptoms including:

• Hair loss - this is one of the big ones I see in my clients, along with other micronutrient deficiencies or insufficiencies - more on that in a minute.
• Fatigue, weakness, headaches, and dizziness - if you have chronic fatigue, one of the first things you need to check is ferritin.
• Anxiety, depression, poor focus, lack of recall, and an overall decrease of brain function - I had one client whose anxiety almost completely resolved once we got her ferritin into the optimal range. The brain and its functions are very sensitive to latent iron depletion.

Here’s the tricky part - most of these symptoms overlap with other root causes, or are often brushed off as “all in your head.” And it’s not easy to detangle all these systems!

But I’m here to tell you - DO NOT overlook the role of iron reserves if you’re struggling with fatigue, mood issues, or hair loss!

You might be thinking - “Ok, Dr. Kate, I have those symptoms, but my doctor says my ferritin is normal.”

Well, normal is not the same as optimal! For example, many leading Functional Medicine experts agree that hair regrowth is extremely difficult with ferritin levels below 70 micrograms per liter, and if you have thyroid problems, you may need levels of at least 100 micrograms per liter to relieve symptoms.

BUT, most conventional testing standards consider levels as low as 11 micrograms per liter to be normal! Sure, you can survive on lower levels, and maybe you won’t even see symptoms for awhile.

But if you’re experiencing hair loss, fatigue, joint pain, anxiety, or cognitive issues, sub-optimal ferritin could be part of the problem.

For your reference, I like to see optimized ferritin levels of 70-300 micrograms per liter for males and 70-150 for females unless they have thyroid disease, in which case that bottom number goes up to a minimum of 100 micrograms per liter.

How do you get your hands on a ferritin test?

Ferritin is measured via the blood, so you will either need to go to a lab for a blood draw or perform a finger-poke at home to test your levels.

Most of the time, you can ask your primary care provider to order this test for you - especially if you tell them that you’re feeling fatigued or have other symptoms associated with low iron levels.

But be sure to specifically mention ferritin - otherwise you might just end up with an iron test. If you’re in the United States, you can order your own ferritin test through a local lab or purchase an at-home test kit.

I’ll put more details about approved lab kits and self-order testing resources in my FREE Ferritin Boosting Checklist - you can sign up for your copy HERE.

Alright. Now you know what ferritin is, why it’s important, and the types of symptoms it can cause if it’s sub-optimal. You also know what range you’re looking for, and how to get your ferritin tested.

Now let's talk about how to raise your ferritin levels to help you get relief from your symptoms and make sure your body is functioning optimally!

The first thing we need to consider when ferritin is low is iron loss. A healthy adult loses about 1mg of iron every day in the stool, and a menstruating woman loses an additional 20-60mg per cycle, depending on the heaviness and frequency of her period.

Iron loss can be accelerated by athletic training like running and even - get this - bongo or conga drumming.

Yep, it’s a thing! And it makes sense, because anything that causes injury to your blood cells can eventually cause iron loss.

Low ferritin can also be a result of past blood loss - for instance, pregnancy & childbirth, surgery, or other physical trauma. It can be difficult to “catch up” your iron reserves after these types of events, leaving you with low ferritin.

That said, a certain amount of iron loss is unavoidable, which means that your body has a constant need to replenish this essential micronutrient. Unfortunately, consuming, absorbing, and utilizing enough iron isn’t always easy!

There are two main forms of dietary iron - heme iron and non-heme iron.

Animal-based foods like meat, shellfish, and eggs have both heme iron and non-heme iron. Plants only have non-heme iron.

When it comes to absorption, heme iron is absorbed at higher rates (about 15-35%), whereas non-heme iron lands somewhere in the 2-20% absorption rate - unless combined with Vitamin C, which can slightly improve it’s absorption.

This is why folks who eat a plant-based diet need to be especially diligent about monitoring their ferritin levels.

Also, because overall absorption rates of iron are low, it’s really really hard to correct a deficiency of iron or ferritin using dietary sources alone.

And if you happen to have heavy periods, gut issues that decrease absorption, or an obsession with playing the congas, your food might not even be enough to prevent you from becoming deficient in the first place!

Speaking of absorption issues...

There are a plethora of super common factors that can make absorbing iron even more difficult than it already is.

This is where I see most folks get stuck - they’re trying to eat more dietary iron, or are even supplementing with a heavy-duty dose, but they just can’t seem to get their levels up!

I hinted at this a moment ago, but there are several gut-health related reasons why you might be struggling to get your ferritin optimized.

Atrophic gastritis is a condition where the cells that line the stomach morph into cells that more closely resemble intestinal cells, which means they lose their ability to secrete gastric acid. Without it, absorption of iron and other micronutrients is significantly reduced. 

The tricky thing about atrophic gastritis is that the first symptom to show up is almost always anemia - not nausea or vomiting or other digestive symptoms. So, measuring your ferritin can help catch and address this condition early.

What causes atrophic gastritis? A helicobacter pylori infection is the most common culprit - and approximately 60% of the world’s population is infected with this common bacterium.

H. pylori can also cause ulcers in the stomach or even lead to stomach cancer in a small percentage of people.

If you’re struggling to absorb iron and suspect gut issues, a comprehensive stool analysis can help rule out h. pylori and other microbial causes. I’ll include a link to my favorite comprehensive test for checking H. pylori in the FREE Ferritin Boosting Checklist for you.  Download it HERE.

Celiac disease can also decrease the absorption of micronutrients, including iron. If you’re sensitive to gluten, have certain genetic markers, or have other nutrient deficiencies, avoiding gluten in your diet can help decrease your overall gut inflammation and improve iron absorption.

Common medications can also decrease your gut’s ability to absorb iron.  Antacids like Tums, Rolaids, Milk of Magnesia, Tagamet, Pepcid, and Zantac all deplete iron, as do certain antibiotics. 

Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory drugs like Ibuprofen and Naproxin, as well as Aspirin, can also cause iron depletion because they irritate the gastric lining, causing slight, slow bleeding over time. If you use any of these medications regularly, it’s time to check your ferritin.

So, what are some Functional Medicine strategies to not just minimize potential ferritin pitfalls, but actively improve your levels?

As I mentioned before, increasing your iron intake is step one. If you’re just trying to prevent low ferritin, increasing iron-rich foods in your diet can be helpful.

But if you’ve checked your levels and find them inadequate, you will likely need a concentrated, high-quality, absorbable iron supplement - or in extreme circumstances, an iron IV.

My recommended ferritin-building supplement has a few distinct qualities.

It contains a chelated form of iron, which makes it easier to absorb and less likely to cause digestive upset. It also contains several cofactors - specifically, other micronutrients that are required for proper utilization of iron by the body like methylated B vitamins.

In addition to these micronutrients, taking Vitamin C with your iron helps increase it’s absorption…every little bit helps!

Remember how I said that antacids decrease iron absorption?

That’s because an acidic environment is best for absorbing iron - as well as other micronutrients like calcium. If you have digestive symptoms like bloating, heartburn, gas, indigestion, or abdominal discomfort, you may have hypochlorhydria, or low stomach acid.

In this case it can be useful to take a supplement with digestive enzymes and betaine HCl to create an ideal gastric environment for absorbing iron. 

Another strategy that I find helpful for raising ferritin is to support specific strains of bacteria in the gut.

I think of these friendly bugs like micronutrient “doormen,” because they help ease iron’s entry through the intestinal wall.

One of the specific strains that has been found to boost ferritin is Lactobacillus Plantarum - one study found that a probiotic containing this strain increased iron absorption by 50%! 

You’ll find links to all of these suggested supplements for boosting ferritin in the FREE Ferritin Boosting Checklist. You can sign up to get your copy HERE.