What is ferritin (female)?

Ferritin is a blood-circulating protein that stores iron inside cells (especially in liver, spleen, bone marrow) and some small amount circulates in plasma. The blood concentration of ferritin is used as a proxy (albeit imperfect) for the body’s stored iron. Because it also rises during inflammation, it must often be interpreted alongside inflammatory markers such as CRP and ESR.

Why does ferritin matter for long-term health and wellbeing?

Ferritin offers insight into your iron reserve capacity—a key determinant of how well your tissues can sustain function under stress or increased demand (e.g. for energy metabolism, repair, cognition). When reserves fall, systems like sleep initiation, neurological processing, and resilience under strain may be subtly impacted even in absence of overt deficiency. On the other side, elevated ferritin (especially in the presence of inflammation) can reflect metabolic stress or subclinical inflammation, which matters over the long term for optimising health trajectories.

What’s an optimal level of ferritin (female)?

• Lab (reference) range (female): 15 to 400 µg/L
• Vively’s “optimal” range (female): 80 to 400 µg/L

Thus, while a ferritin of, say, 20–30 µg/L may fall within the lab reference range, it lies below the optimal threshold in our framework (i.e. < 80 µg/L), suggesting lower-than-ideal iron reserve capacity.

What influences ferritin levels?

Many factors play a role:

• Iron intake and absorption: Dietary iron (heme vs non-heme), enhancers (vitamin C), inhibitors (phytates, certain polyphenols)
• Menstrual losses and bleeding: In women, ongoing menstrual iron loss is a major drain
• Body composition and adiposity: Overweight or obesity tends to correlate with higher ferritin independent of iron status (likely via low-grade inflammation)
• Inflammation or infection: Even subtle inflammatory states can raise ferritin, masking low iron stores
• Liver metabolism and iron regulation hormones: E.g. hepcidin regulation, liver stress, metabolic state
• Genetic variation: Some people have inherited differences in how they store or mobilise iron (studied in Australian cohorts)

What does it mean if ferritin is outside the optimal range?

• Below optimal (e.g. < 80 µg/L): Your iron reserves may be modest or declining, which might modestly reduce resilience over time, especially under stress or increased demand. It signals a chance to support and restock reserves.
• Above optimal (but within reference): This may reflect inflammation, stress, or metabolic burden rather than “too much iron.” It’s a prompt to examine inflammatory drivers, liver health, or metabolic load.
• Well above reference upper limit: This warrants deeper review of iron regulation and inflammation context. But even before that threshold, rising ferritin trends are useful as early warning signs in a wellness-oriented approach.

How can I support healthy ferritin levels?

• Include bioavailable iron sources (e.g. lean meats, poultry, fish) and pair non-heme iron with vitamin C to enhance absorption
• Limit strong inhibitors around iron meals (e.g. large doses of tea, coffee, calcium-rich foods)
• Ensure regular, non-excessive blood donation or screening practices (if relevant)
• Support gut health and digestive function (adequate stomach acidity, healthy microbiome)
• Minimise chronic low-grade inflammation (through good sleep, stress management, anti-inflammatory diet)
• Track ferritin over time (ideally every 3–6 months) and interpret alongside CRP or ESR to resolve ambiguity from inflammation

This information is provided for general health and wellness purposes only and does not replace medical advice.

References

1. McKinnon, E.J., Rossi, E., Beilby, J., et al. Factors That Affect Serum Levels of Ferritin in Australian Adults and Implications for Follow-Up. (2013).
2. “Ferritin.” Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia Manual.
3. Updating the diagnosis and management of iron deficiency in the era of routine ferritin testing — MJA, Zhang et al. (2024)
4. Darú, J., Allard, S., et al. “Serum ferritin as an indicator of iron status: what do we know?” (2017)

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