Iron and ferritin what is the difference? Iron is a mineral that is needed for red blood cells specifically haemoglobin that transports oxygen whereas ferritin is a measure of how the iron is actually stored in your body.
Confusing?
Anemia is a condition when the body doesn’t have enough iron to properly provide oxidation of the red blood cells. One of the most common symptoms of anemia is fatigue but there are other symptoms such as weakness. There is a difference between weakness and fatigue. You can feel tired but not weak. As well some symptoms can be pale skin, shortness of breath, dizziness, sometimes the legs feel like tingling or things are crawling on or in them. Sometimes a person with anemia will have strange food cravings or tastes, this list is not complete but is a good starting point. The challenge is do you have anemia because you don’t intake enough iron through your food or is it because your body can’t store it and that is a ferritin problem. There is a big difference?
Firstly if you are having any of the above stated symptoms it would be helpful to see your doctor to get some blood work done. A suggestion would be to get both your iron and ferritin tested and not just one or the other as the results will not provide the total picture.
Once you have the results you can make some dietary changes if your iron is low. Be careful when taking an iron supplement, many people find them to have a side effect of constipation. If you can correct an iron deficiently through your food intake, your body will thank you for it. So what are some foods that are high in iron? Spinach is a great food high in iron. Be creative with spinach, make a salad, juice it, steam or stir fry with it. One of my favourite juices is a combination of spinach and pineapples done in the juicer. Spinach is high in iron and pineapples are an anti-inflammatory.
Enough about spinach, here is a list of other foods high in iron;
• Red meat
• Other meats such as pork and poultry
• Seafood
• A variety of beans
• Leafy green vegetables
• Some dried fruits
• peas
So what if it isn’t an iron deficiency but rather how your body stores iron? Then you should get some further blood work done to make sure the liver and spleen are functioning properly. Some people actually have a challenge with both iron and ferritin.
If you are tired and you feel that you get adequate rest get your blood tested, it could simply be you are low in iron.
Diane Elms Homeopath, D.H.M.H.S., CCI, CCII, Specializing in Drugless Cancer Care, 2006 Iridologist of the Year, if you have any health related questions contact diane@choicesforhealthandharmony.com or 905 768 0848.