What’s the Difference Between Ferritin and Iron?
In order for red blood cells to carry oxygen around the body, it is important to have sufficient iron stores. Having too low or too high levels of iron and ferritin can affect overall health and well-being.
Ferritin is a protein that stores iron in your body, while iron itself is a mineral essential for various bodily functions, including oxygen transport and energy production. Understanding the difference between ferritin and iron can help you better understand your body’s iron levels and ability to store this essential mineral.
Our Iron Test and Iron Stores (Ferritin) Test offers a quick, easy, and accurate way to measure the iron and ferritin levels in the blood and assess how well the body stores iron. They feature as part of our Energy Profile checks, and can be booked individually or added as an extra test to our existing health assessment packages.
What is Ferritin?
Ferritin is not the same thing as iron. It is a protein that bonds to iron, storing and releasing this mineral when the body requires it. The compound ferritin is stored in many of the body’s cells, including the liver, spleen, bone marrow and the immune system. Ferritin makes up around 25% of the body’s total iron stores, so you can see why having optimal ferritin levels is essential.
The body uses iron to make red blood cells, which transport oxygen around the body; the rest is stored for later use. Iron is stored in the form of ferritin. Ferritin helps regulate the amounts of iron in the blood, ensuring that levels are not too high or low.
Low ferritin levels suggest that there are issues in the way the body holds onto iron. This can lead to deficiencies such as iron deficiency anaemia, which causes the body to be unable to make enough red blood cells.
Equally important, high ferritin levels can indicate iron overload and point to the presence of certain inflammatory health conditions such as liver or renal diseases or metabolic syndrome. Therefore, ferritin plays an important role in iron regulation, reducing the risks of both deficiencies and toxicity.
What is Iron?
One of the primary functions of the mineral iron is to produce haemoglobin, a protein found in red blood cells. Red blood cells transport and supply oxygen to all the different parts of the body. Therefore the body’s iron levels must be regulated for optimal health.
Iron also contributes to many other metabolic processes within the body. This mineral is important for growth, the conversion of nutrients into energy and supports immune cell proliferation.
Insufficient iron levels can cause your iron stores to run out. This is referred to as iron depletion. Iron deficiency anaemia occurs when low iron levels cause a decrease in haemoglobin production, resulting in insufficient oxygen being transported to the cells of the body. Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia include:
- Breathlessness
- Turning pale
- Loss of appetite
- Unusual food cravings (e.g. eating dirt)
- Sweating
- Fatigue
Conversely, too much iron is problematic and can be a sign of haemochromatosis, a hereditary condition causing a buildup of iron in the body. If not treated, an overload of iron can cause damage to the liver, joints, pancreas, and heart.
Iron is absorbed from the foods we eat and can also be supplemented to bolster our intake of this vital mineral. In foods, iron is present in two forms: heme and non-heme iron. Heme iron is more easily absorbed by the body than non-heme iron. Good dietary sources of heme iron include:
- Red meat
- Liver
- Poultry
- Seafood
Green leafy vegetables such as kale, nuts, tofu and beans are examples of high non-heme iron foods.
How Ferritin and Iron Work Together
Ferritin and iron work as a team, as they can only support major functions in the body together. Whilst iron is needed for the production of haemoglobin and energy metabolism among other processes, ferritin enables iron to be stored and released when needed.
Ferritin acts as both a backup system for when blood iron levels decrease and as a regulator to maintain constant levels of iron, not too high and not too low.
Both ferritin and iron play a significant role in iron metabolism. The process of iron metabolism involves the majority of iron in the blood being transported to the bone marrow to support red blood cell production. Other cellular processes utilise smaller percentages of iron. The excess goes to the liver to be stored in its ferritin form.
The importance of this teamwork between iron and ferritin ensures that iron levels in the body are properly regulated. When ferritin and iron are working together, the amounts of iron in the bloodstream will remain at an optimal level.
The Key Differences Between Ferritin and Iron
Ferritin and iron have distinct parts to play in the body. Here are a few of the key contrasting characteristics of ferritin and iron.
| Ferritin | Iron |
|---|---|
| A protein that stores iron in an inactive form | Is a mineral |
| 25% of iron is stored in ferritin form | 75% is found in haemoglobin, circulating throughout the body |
| Ferritin is mostly stored in cells in the liver, spleen, bone marrow, and immune cells | In its active form, iron is found in the red blood cells in the bloodstream |
| Responsible for the absorption, storage, and release of iron | Involved in haemoglobin production, oxygen transport, and energy metabolism |
Test Your Ferritin and Iron Levels
Testing both your iron and ferritin levels can accurately assess if your blood iron levels and iron stores are too low or too high. Undertaking a ferritin test in conjunction with an iron test is advised in order to get the most accurate overview of your risk of deficiency or overload. A ferritin test calculates your total body stores of iron and is more sensitive to recognising iron deficiency than a basic iron test.
Our Iron Test and Iron Stores (Ferritin) Test are specifically designed to check the levels of iron and ferritin and calculate the total body stores of iron. These tests can be used to diagnose iron deficiencies before any fall in the amount of iron in the blood occurs.
The Iron Test and Iron Stores (Ferritin) Test involves taking a blood sample which measures levels of ferritin and iron in the blood. The sample is then sent to a leading laboratory we have partnered with to be analysed. After analysis, you will receive a comprehensive Results Report.
The Iron Test and Iron Stores (Ferritin) Test can be booked individually, as part of our Energy Profile checks, or added as an extra test to our health MOTs. Just call us before your appointment to add on an extra test.
