picardo.

Ferritin Your iron reserve

Also called Serum ferritin Not on a standard checkup No fasting needed

The short answer

Ferritin shows how much iron you have in reserve. It’s usually the first number to fall when you’re running low on iron, well before anemia shows up on a blood count.1

A healthy reserve
Roughly 50 to 150 ng/mL if you have periods, and 50 to 200 if you don’t.1,9 Between 30 and 50 is enough only if you have no symptoms of low iron and no risk factors.9
If yours is low
Under 15 means your iron stores are empty.1 Hematologists now suggest counting 30 or under as iron deficiency, and up to 50 if you have symptoms of low iron or a risk factor such as heavy periods, a vegan or vegetarian diet or donating blood.9 It’s very treatable.
If yours is high
It’s usually fatty liver, alcohol or inflammation, not too much iron. One more test tells them apart.2,3

Check your result

Type the number from your report. It stays on this page.

Which fits you?

Signs of low iron include tiredness, tiring easily with exercise, restless legs and craving ice. Risks include heavy periods, a vegan or vegetarian diet, donating blood, weight-loss surgery, recent surgery and planning a pregnancy.9 If you’re anemic and have a long-term inflammatory condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, iron can be low even with ferritin under 100.9

15 31 51 150 1,000
  • Empty Under 15
  • Low 15 to 30
  • Borderline 31 to 50
  • Healthy 51 to 149
  • High 150 to 999
  • Very high 1,000 or more

Enter your result to see what it means and what to do next.

Got a result from another lab? Ask Picardo about it. The app explains your results, and a physician can follow up.

Cutoffs from the WHO and the American Society of Hematology.1,9 If you’ve been ill recently, your ferritin may read higher than your true reserve, and in the first 6 weeks after giving birth it can read normal even when your iron is low.12 The bar isn’t to scale.

What is a normal ferritin level?

Lab ranges for ferritin vary, and many still call some iron-deficient results normal.9 Labcorp’s range now starts at 30 ng/mL for adults.11 These are the cutoffs that matter:1,9

Empty Under 15 ng/mL

Your iron stores are empty

Below 15, your body has run out of stored iron. This is iron deficiency, whether or not you’re anemic yet.1 It can cause tiredness, even before anemia sets in.6

How worried to be

Very treatable, but don’t ignore it. See a clinician in the next few weeks, and sooner if you’re breathless, dizzy or have black stools.

What to do next
  1. 1 Ask about iron supplements. Most people refill their stores over about three months.7
  2. 2 Find out why. Heavy periods are the most common cause; for men and for women past menopause, guidelines recommend checking the gut for bleeding.4,7
  3. 3 Check your hemoglobin to see whether you’re anemic.
Low 15 to 30 ng/mL; 15 to 50 if you have signs of low iron or a risk factor

Low, and possibly why you’re tired

Some labs still call this normal. But hematologists now suggest counting 30 or under as iron deficiency, and up to 50 if you have symptoms of low iron, such as tiredness, or a risk factor such as heavy periods, a vegan or vegetarian diet or donating blood.9 Gastroenterologists count anything under 45 as iron deficiency in people who are anemic.4 And in a trial of women who weren’t anemic but had ferritin under 50, iron eased tiredness more than a placebo did.6

How worried to be

Not urgent. Worth raising with a clinician, especially if you’re tired or have heavy periods.

What to do next
  1. 1 Check your hemoglobin and iron levels to see the whole picture.
  2. 2 If you’ve been ill recently, add CRP: inflammation pushes ferritin up and can hide a lower true reserve.1
  3. 3 Ask whether a three-month course of iron makes sense for you.7
Borderline 31 to 50 ng/mL, if you have no signs of low iron or risk factors

Borderline: it depends on how you feel

For most adults, hematologists count 30 or under as iron deficiency, so if you feel well and have no risk factors, this is likely enough.9 But if you’re tired, have heavy periods or another risk factor, they suggest counting up to 50 as iron deficiency.9 In a trial of women who weren’t anemic but had ferritin under 50, iron eased tiredness more than a placebo did.6

How worried to be

Not urgent. If you’re tired or have heavy periods, it’s worth raising with a clinician.

What to do next
  1. 1 If you’re tired, have heavy periods or another risk factor, treat this as low iron, and ask whether a three-month course of iron makes sense.7,9
  2. 2 If none of those apply, you don’t need iron supplements. Taking iron you don’t need can do harm.8
  3. 3 If you’ve been ill recently, add CRP: inflammation pushes ferritin up and can hide a lower true reserve.1
Healthy 51 to 149 ng/mL if you have periods; 51 to 199 if you don’t

Your iron reserve looks healthy

You have iron in reserve. Unless you have an infection or inflammation, which can push ferritin up, this rules out iron deficiency for most people, including those who are tired or have heavy periods.1,9

How worried to be

Nothing to worry about.

What to do next
  1. 1 You don’t need iron supplements. Taking iron you don’t need can do harm.8
  2. 2 If you’re anemic and have a long-term inflammatory condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease, ask about transferrin saturation. Iron can still be low with ferritin under 100.9
  3. 3 If you’re still tired, look elsewhere. Thyroid and B12 are common next checks.
High 150 ng/mL or higher if you have periods; 200 or higher if you don’t

Higher than usual: find out why

Most high ferritin isn’t too much iron. The usual causes are fatty liver, extra weight, alcohol, or a recent infection or inflammation.3 One more test sorts most of this out: transferrin saturation, which comes from an iron and TIBC test.2

How worried to be

Not urgent. If you’ve just been ill, recheck in a few weeks.

What to do next
  1. 1 Test iron and TIBC. If transferrin saturation is 45% or more, ask about a genetic test for hemochromatosis.10
  2. 2 Check your liver tests and CRP for the common causes.3
  3. 3 Cutting alcohol and losing extra weight tend to bring it down.3
Very high 1,000 ng/mL or higher

Very high: see a clinician soon

Levels this high need a cause found. In hemochromatosis, ferritin over 1,000 goes with a higher chance of liver scarring.2 Liver disease and serious inflammation can also push it this high.3

How worried to be

Book an appointment within the next week or two.

What to do next
  1. 1 Take this result to a clinician, with iron, TIBC and liver tests if you can.
  2. 2 Don’t take iron or vitamin C supplements in the meantime.2
Ferritin test, $6.75
Results in 2 to 3 days, explained in the app
Order

What is ferritin?

Think of ferritin as the gauge on your iron reserve tank. Hemoglobin tells you whether there’s enough iron in your blood today; ferritin tells you how much is left in the tank.

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron, mostly in your liver, spleen and bone marrow. A little of it reaches your blood in proportion to what’s stored, which is why a blood test can read your reserve.1

Ferritin also rises with infection, inflammation and liver problems, whatever your iron.1 It can read high in the first 6 weeks after giving birth, too.12 So a normal number can hide low iron if you’re unwell, and a high number often isn’t about iron at all.

Can low ferritin make you tired?

Yes, even before you’re anemic. In a trial of women with ferritin under 50 ng/mL and normal hemoglobin, 12 weeks of iron eased tiredness more than a placebo did.6

If you’re tired and your ferritin is under 50, it’s worth asking a clinician whether iron could help.

Why is ferritin low or high?

Low ferritin usually comes from losing more iron than you take in:1,4

  • Heavy or long periods
  • Pregnancy, and the months after giving birth
  • Bleeding in the gut, from ulcers, polyps or, less often, cancer
  • Absorbing less, as with celiac disease or after weight-loss surgery
  • Eating little iron, including some plant-based diets
  • Donating blood often

High ferritin is usually a sign of something else going on:3

  • Fatty liver, extra weight or metabolic syndrome
  • Alcohol
  • A recent infection or inflammation, even a cold
  • Liver or kidney disease, and some cancers
  • Less often, hemochromatosis, an inherited condition that stores too much iron2

How to raise ferritin

  • Iron supplements

    Usually refill your stores over about three months.7 Taking them every other day absorbs better per dose than daily.5 Constipation and nausea are the common side effects.7

    How much it helps
    A lot
    How sure we are
    Very sure
  • Treating the cause

    If heavy periods or bleeding are draining your iron, supplements alone may not keep up.7

    How much it helps
    A lot
    How sure we are
    Very sure
  • Iron-rich food

    Red meat, seafood and poultry give the iron you absorb best. Beans, lentils, spinach and fortified cereals give plant iron.8

    How much it helps
    A little
    How sure we are
    Fairly sure

You’ll absorb more iron from plant foods eaten with vitamin C, such as orange juice.8 Take iron supplements apart from meals, tea, coffee and calcium, which all cut absorption. Adding vitamin C to a supplement doesn’t seem to help.7

How to lower high ferritin

  • Treating the cause

    Cutting alcohol and losing extra weight can help bring ferritin down when fatty liver or metabolic problems are behind it.3

    How much it helps
    Some
    How sure we are
    Fairly sure
  • Removing blood

    For hemochromatosis, regular blood removal (phlebotomy) brings ferritin down and protects your liver.2

    How much it helps
    A lot
    How sure we are
    Very sure

Who should get a ferritin test?

It’s worth checking if any of these apply to you:1,2,9

  • You’re tired a lot, or short of breath on stairs
  • You have heavy periods
  • You’re pregnant, planning a pregnancy or have just had a baby. After birth, wait at least 6 weeks for a true reading.12
  • You eat little or no meat, or donate blood often
  • You have celiac disease or have had weight-loss surgery
  • A close relative has hemochromatosis

How to get a ferritin test, and what it costs

A ferritin test costs $6.75 through Picardo.

Order the test

Ferritin test

$6.75
Labcorp 004598 · no fasting needed
Order ferritin
  • Results in 2 to 3 days, in the app
  • Physician follow-up if you want one
  • Free Labcorp draw, or $75 at home
  • No other fees. HSA and FSA eligible.

It’s also part of the Base Core Annual – Men, Base Core Annual – Women, Postpartum and Celiac / GI panels, if you’d rather test more at once.

Already have a result? Ask Picardo about it

Questions people ask

Is a ferritin of 40 normal?

It depends on you. Hematologists count 30 ng/mL or under as iron deficiency in most adults, so 40 is likely enough if you feel well. But if you’re tired, have heavy periods or another risk factor, they suggest counting up to 50 as iron deficiency.9

Is a ferritin of 20 low?

Yes. It’s above the 15 ng/mL cutoff for empty stores,1 but under the 30 that hematologists now suggest for diagnosing iron deficiency.9 Some labs still call it normal. If you’re tired or have heavy periods, ask a clinician about iron.

How long does it take to raise ferritin?

With iron supplements, most people refill their stores over about three months. If you were anemic, it takes longer: your hemoglobin usually starts rising within a couple of weeks, and clinicians keep the iron going for about three months after it’s back to normal.7

What foods raise ferritin?

Red meat, seafood and poultry contain heme iron, which your body absorbs best. Beans, lentils, spinach and fortified cereals contain plant iron; eat them with vitamin C to absorb more.8 Food alone rarely refills empty stores quickly.

Can ferritin be normal if I’m low on iron?

Yes, if an infection, inflammation or liver problem is pushing it up. In people with infection or inflammation, the WHO uses a cutoff of 70 ng/mL instead of 15,1 and hematologists suggest under 100, or a transferrin saturation under 20%.9 A CRP test and transferrin saturation help sort this out.

What ferritin level means hemochromatosis?

No ferritin level means it on its own. US guidelines suspect hemochromatosis when transferrin saturation is 45% or more along with high ferritin;10 European guidelines use over 45% for women and over 50% for men.2 A genetic test confirms it.2,10

Often checked alongside

Transferrin saturation
How full your iron carriers are
Hemoglobin
Carries oxygen; low levels mean anemia
Serum iron
Iron in your blood right now
hs-CRP
Low-grade inflammation linked to heart risk

Test details

Labcorp test
Ferritin, 004598
LOINC
2276-4
Sample
Blood
Fasting
Not needed
Typical lab range
30 to 400 ng/mL (men); 30 to 150 ng/mL (women aged 20 to 40), with the upper limit rising with age to 397 over 8011
Units
ng/mL, the same as µg/L

Sources

  1. 1 World Health Organization. WHO guideline on use of ferritin concentrations to assess iron status in individuals and populations. Geneva: WHO; 2020. www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240000124
  2. 2 European Association for the Study of the Liver. EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on haemochromatosis. J Hepatol. 2022;77(2):479–502. doi.org/10.1016/j.jhep.2022.03.033
  3. 3 Valenti L, Corradini E, Adams LA, et al. Consensus statement on the definition and classification of metabolic hyperferritinaemia. Nat Rev Endocrinol. 2023;19(5):299–310. doi.org/10.1038/s41574-023-00807-6
  4. 4 Ko CW, Siddique SM, Patel A, et al. AGA clinical practice guidelines on the gastrointestinal evaluation of iron deficiency anemia. Gastroenterology. 2020;159(3):1085–1094. doi.org/10.1053/j.gastro.2020.06.046
  5. 5 Stoffel NU, Cercamondi CI, Brittenham G, et al. Iron absorption from oral iron supplements given on consecutive versus alternate days and as single morning doses versus twice-daily split dosing in iron-depleted women: two open-label, randomised controlled trials. Lancet Haematol. 2017;4(11):e524–e533. doi.org/10.1016/S2352-3026(17)30182-5
  6. 6 Vaucher P, Druais PL, Waldvogel S, Favrat B. Effect of iron supplementation on fatigue in nonanemic menstruating women with low ferritin: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2012;184(11):1247–1254. doi.org/10.1503/cmaj.110950
  7. 7 Snook J, Bhala N, Beales ILP, et al. British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the management of iron deficiency anaemia in adults. Gut. 2021;70(11):2030–2051. doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2021-325210
  8. 8 Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health. Iron: fact sheet for consumers. Updated August 17, 2023. ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-Consumer/
  9. 9 Powers JM, Lim MY, Achebe MO, et al. American Society of Hematology 2026 guidelines for diagnosis of iron deficiency. Blood Adv. 2026;10(21):7353–7374. doi.org/10.1182/bloodadvances.2025015950
  10. 10 Kowdley KV, Brown KE, Ahn J, Sundaram V. ACG clinical guideline: hereditary hemochromatosis. Am J Gastroenterol. 2019;114(8):1202–1218. doi.org/10.14309/ajg.0000000000000315
  11. 11 Labcorp. Ferritin, test 004598. Labcorp test menu. Accessed October 28, 2026. www.labcorp.com/tests/004598/ferritin
  12. 12 Holm C, Neef V, Pavord S. Management of postpartum anemia. Blood Transfus. 2025;23(1):47–49. doi.org/10.2450/BloodTransfus.924

Updated 4 Nov 2026.

This is general health information, not medical advice: talk to your clinician about your results and before changing any treatment.