This is interesting, and I wonder what the optimal level actually is — or if that varies from person to person. Indeed, people's bodies don't seem to respond to iron in identical ways; for instance, some women will shed hair when their ferritin levels are below a certain point (suggesting that their bodies are struggling to keep up with their particular metabolic needs), while other women can have the very same ferritin levels with no hair-growth disruptions at all. It seems that different people have different "optimal" levels... and maybe that's so for just about any nutrient.

I've had very low ferritin for a LONG time, and accordingly a lot of the issues that come along with such a deficiency. If iron is too low for too long, the deficiency can put strain on the heart because it's like being oxygen-deprived, and the heart begins having to over-work itself just to circulate enough oxygen-rich blood around the body. On the other side of the coin, BECAUSE iron ferries oxygen around the body, it can increase oxidative stress — which likely goes a long way toward explaining why so many other health problems come along with "high" levels.

Ultimately, there still seems to be vast disagreement among doctors across the world regarding what "optimal" ferritin levels really are. So here I sit, wondering how long to supplement vs. when I should stop. ;)

Thanks for the read and making people aware of the fact that iron levels are an important component of health!