The Crucial Connection: Maintaining Low Ferritin Levels for Optimal Liver Health
Liver health is of paramount importance for overall well-being, as the liver plays a vital role in detoxification, metabolism, hormones (estrogen and thyroid particularily) and nutrient storage. One often overlooked factor in maintaining a healthy liver is the level of ferritin in the body. Ferritin, a protein that stores iron, might seem unrelated to liver health, but in reality, there's a significant connection between the two. In this post, we'll explore why it's important to keep ferritin levels low and how that contributes to optimal liver health.
Understanding Ferritin: Ferritin is a protein found in cells that binds to iron, storing it for future use. While iron is essential for various bodily functions, excess iron accumulation can lead to oxidative stress and tissue damage, particularly in the liver. When iron levels become too high, they can overwhelm the body's natural defense mechanisms, leading to a condition called iron overload.
The Link Between Ferritin and Liver Health:
Oxidative Stress: Elevated ferritin levels can increase the risk of oxidative stress within liver cells. Oxidative stress occurs when there's an imbalance between free radicals (highly reactive molecules) and antioxidants. This oxidative stress can damage liver cells and contribute to inflammation, accelerated aging, and impairing the liver's ability to function optimally.
Liver Inflammation: High ferritin levels have been associated with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), conditions characterized by fat accumulation in liver cells. Inflammation resulting from these conditions can progress to more severe liver diseases, such as cirrhosis or liver fibrosis.
Iron Overload: Accumulation of excess iron in the liver can lead to iron overload, a condition that can damage liver cells and increase the risk of liver diseases. Iron overload can be caused by various factors, including genetic disorders like hereditary hemochromatosis or repeated blood transfusions.
Hepatic Iron Content: Monitoring ferritin levels can give insight into the iron content of the liver. Elevated ferritin levels might indicate increased iron storage in the liver, potentially leading to various liver-related complications.
Conclusion: Maintaining low ferritin levels is crucial for optimal liver health. I believe for those with thyroid and hormone dysfunction, optimizing the health of your liver is vital to seeing the improvement you want in your hormones. Ferritin is an incredibly cheap blood test that you can get your doctor to order or order yourself at walk in labs. Should be less than $10-20.
I will be covering some basics and strategies at this at the upcoming Advanced Lifestyle Class which has already had 30% of the seats reserved in the first 18 hours.
This has been a big personal revelation to me and changed many, many things I do with my personal health routines (which I will cover).
Be blessed and keep those ferritin levels in check!
Dr B