I’ve always had high ferritin levels as I have Thalassemia Major, which is a genetic disorder requiring regular blood transfusions. And for this, I’ve been on a lifelong lookout for ways to treat high ferritin levels and reduce them naturally.
This article is based on 30 years of experience (which includes visits to my hematologists) trying out different ways to reduce my ferritin levels naturally.
So if you have high ferritin levels due to any reason, be it hemochromatosis, covid, thalassemia, or any other disorder, I hope this article will help you.
I would highly recommend you speak to your doctor before trying anything mentioned here because something that worked for me may not work for you in the same way. So make sure you bring your doctor on board.
1. Limit Vitamin C intake
Research has shown that Vitamin C improves iron absorption. If you are looking to reduce your high ferritin levels, that is the last thing you want.
So stay away from Vitamin C especially around meal times.
2. Stay away from Heme Iron
There are two kinds of iron – heme and non heme.
Non heme iron is mostly found in plants, fruits and nuts while heme is found in meat. Read this article for more information on heme and non heme iron.
You should try to keep away from foods with heme iron as the iron from these foods is more easily absorbed by the body.
Having them sometimes should not be a problem, as long as you follow up with the next step mentioned below.
3. Drink Milk or Tea after Meals
Both milk and tea are good at blocking the absorption of iron from the gut.
Read this article I wrote on green tea for iron chelation.
Milk contains calcium which binds with iron and helps the body get rid of it. There have even been researches where toddlers who consumed cows milk have developed iron deficiency.
In the same way, tea contains tannins which block iron before it can be absorbed by the body.
For me, tea has worked well. I try to drink a cup within 30 to 40 minutes after every meal, and I think it helps.
4. Try Wet Cupping or Hijama
Medically, there are two ways to get rid of excess iron from the body, phlebotomy and blood donation – apart from iron chelation medicines off course.
However, not everybody can go for phlebotomy and blood donation as they may have low hemoglobin levels.
The alternate to this is an old chinese and arabic medical treatment called Hijama – more commonly known today as Wet Cupping.
Wet cupping can really help reduce the iron levels from your body and even help reduce the iron overload on your organs like the heart, liver, spleen and joints.
Read this article on wet cupping for more details on how it can help reduce iron.
5. Add IP6 and Turmeric Supplements to your Diet
IP6 and Turmeric are potent natural iron chelators and there is a lot of research to back this up.
Did you know that there has even been a reported case of iron deficiency from taking turmeric? Read this article I wrote on turmeric for iron chelation.
I’ve been taking both for over 2 years now and they have greatly helped improve my quality of life and reduce my high ferritin levels.
Here is a detailed article on IP6 I wrote based on my experience. You must read it and start IP6 to see what I am talking about.
