Update to IRON DEFICIENCY and IRON OVERLOAD flow diagram, management
IMAGE and PDF updated and included here
Too much or too little iron = possible major health consequences
We evaluate iron status by measuring a blood protein called FERRITIN, which is the major storage protein for iron:
Iron deficiency = ferritin <20: the major associated problem is gastrointestinal pathology. See my previous post detailing IRON DEFICIENCY.
Iron perfection = ferritin 40-80
Too much iron, but not a major problem = ferritin 120-160. Best plan here is to donate blood in order to rid the body of excess iron.
Too much iron with pending problems = ferritin >200 in a woman or >300 in a man. See my previous post detailing IRON OVERLOAD and my short article included below as a downloadable PDF.
PDF download of updated image:
Image of my 1996 letter/article on iron overload:
PDF download of my 1996 letter/article on IRON OVERLOAD:
