Ferritin is a compound of proteins that stores iron inside cells. When your levels of ferritin are low, this is a sign that your iron levels are low. According to Priscilla Slagle, M.D., as reported in the August 2004 issue of "The Way Up" newsletter, iron deficiency can cause many unpleasant symptoms, including hair loss, anemia, weakness, difficulty swallowing, increase of ADD or ADHD symptoms, tingling in the hands and feet, asthma and even heart palpitations. If you experience low ferritin levels you should consult a doctor, and begin working to increase the amount of iron in your body.
Instructions
1. Talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements or undertaking any radical diet changes. Iron supplementation can be dangerous if not done properly. Your doctor will help you create a strategy for increasing your levels of ferritin.
2. Eat foods high in iron. These foods include organ meats (especially kidney, heart and liver), lean red meats, beans and other legumes, nuts and seeds, dried fruit, caviar and blackstrap molasses. Be sure to discuss the increase of iron in your diet with your doctor in order to prevent ingesting toxic levels of iron.
3. Take supplements to improve your iron absorption. According to Dr. Slagle, these include vitamin C, copper, folic acid, vitamin B12, chlorophyll, molybdenum and selenium. All these work to increase the amount of iron your body gets from food and supplements.
4. Take iron supplements. According to Dr. Shari Lieberman, author of "The Real Vitamin & Mineral Book," the optimum daily intake of iron is 15 to 25 mg for men and 18 to 30 mg for women. A healthy human being can tolerate up to 75 mg a day without adverse side effects.
5. Avoid substances that inhibit iron absorption. Dr. Slagle states that wine, coffee, tea, soy protein, high fiber diets and the chemical phytate found in the bran contained in whole grains all inhibit iron absorption. So also do excesses of zinc, calcium, cadmium, nickel, magnesium, chromium, phosphorus and manganese.
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