Top ways to improve FERRITIN
1. Avoid Vitamin C Intake:
Vitamin C improves the absorption of iron in the body. Vitamin C (also known as ascorbic acid) is a vitamin found in various foods and sold as a dietary supplement. It is on the WHO's List of Essential Medicines. But if your ferritin levels are high, then vitamin c is not good for your health. Several clinical studies have shown the ability of vitamin C to increase serum iron, ferritin, and hemoglobin concentrations. So taking vitamin C in excess may lead to iron overload, which can cause serious damage to your heart, liver, pancreas, thyroid, and central nervous system. You should also avoid supplements that contain extremely high amounts of the Vitamin C. Vitamin C occurs in a variety of foods like kiwifruit, red and green peppers, baked potatoes, tomatoes, strawberries, broccoli, oranges and grapefruit juice.
2. Eat Fruits and vegetables:
Antioxidants play an important role in protecting your body from the damage caused by oxidative stress. Fruits and vegetables are a great source of many antioxidants. But people with high ferritin levels should avoid fruits and vegetables with high iron content. Nonheme iron is less easily absorbed than heme iron, making vegetables a good choice. Heme iron is found only in meat, poultry, seafood, and fish, so heme iron is the type of iron that comes from animal proteins in our diet. Non-heme iron is found in plant-based foods like vegetables, grains, beans, fruits and nuts. Talk to your family doctor or dietitian if you have concerns.
3. Tea and coffee:
Both tea and coffee contain polyphenolic substances called tannins. Tannins are responsible for giving the tea its dry, somewhat bitter flavor and providing color in certain types of tea. This tannin present in tea and coffee prevent absorption of iron in the body and this property of tannin makes tea and coffee a preferable drink for people who have high ferritin levels. But Tea tannins may cause nausea, especially if consumed on an empty stomach.
4. Lean protein:
Protein is an important part of a healthy diet. Proteins are made up of chemical 'building blocks' called amino acids. Numerous dietary sources of protein do contain iron. Nonetheless, this doesnt imply that you have to cut meat out of your diet completely. Instead, plan your meals around protein sources that are lower in iron, such as turkey, chicken, tuna, and even deli meat.
5. Avoid Alcohol:
Regular Alcohol consumption can damage the liver. Each time your liver filters alcohol, some of the liver cells die. The liver can develop new cells, but drinking too much over many years can reduce its ability to regenerate. High ferritin can also worsen liver damage, so you shouldn’t consume alcohol at all, as this could further damage your liver. Alcohol changes the chemicals that break down and remove scar tissue. This means that scar tissue builds up in the liver. This type of tissue replaces normal healthy cells and then the liver can't work properly and can fail
