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Ferritin
The human body needs more than one mineral. One of the most important of these vitamins is iron. Iron, which is a critical need for the production of haemoglobin in red blood cells, is necessary for oxygen transport. People whose iron level is not at the desired level may cause insufficient oxygen production in red blood cells. This situation, which leads to less production, reduces the amount of oxygen in tissues and organs. These reductions can cause many negative effects such as weakness, fatigue, impaired concentration, dizziness.
Iron has many forms of intake. The one that uses the iron taken through food in line with the body’s needs is called ferritin. It is a kind of protein complex that stores iron in line with examinneed, is responsible for its release and enables iron to dissolve.
Ferritin, also known as iron storage, is usually found in cells and in small amounts in the bloodstream. Ferritin, which undertakes the task of storing iron in the body, is measured by laba
ratory test and the amount of iron in the body is easily understood. So, what is ferritin? What causes ferritin deficiency? Details in our article.
What is Ferritin?
There are many food sources to consume iron mineral. Healthy consumption of these different sources plays a very critical role for human metabolism. Especially erythrocytes in the blood, also known as red blood cells, are vital for tissues and organs. These cells, which are the most numerous in the blood, are responsible for the transport of oxygen.
These cells, also known as red blood cells, must carry enough oxygen. In order to carry enough oxygen to the tissues, there must be enough iron minerals. Ferritin, which comes into play here, stores the existing iron unlike the iron in the body. This protein, which has an important role for the amount of iron, also controls the release. Ferritin, also known as the body’s iron store, stores iron taken from food and releases it when necessary.
Ferritin protein is found in many body cells. Especially in cells also known as hepatocytes, ferritin is present. Apart from these cells, which make up about 75 percent of the liver, ferritin is also present in the bone marrow and cells in the immune system.
The amount of iron in the body is measured by ferritin test. It is known that people with low ferritin will also have low iron stores. The same is true if it is high. To understand the normal ferritin value, the age and gender of the person are considered. These values are accepted as 20-500 ml/ng in men and 20-200 ml/ng in women. The reason for the lower values in women compared to men is menstrual bleeding. As a result, it would be the best decision for people with ferritin deficiency to consult a specialist and eliminate their problems by applying the treatment methods recommended by him.
What Causes Ferritin Deficiency?
Ferritin deficiency; It can occur with excessive tea, coffee consumption and irregular nutrition. In women, menstruation, pregnancy and breastfeeding periods are also added to this situation. In addition, ferritin deficiency is also reduced by low iron intake. As a result, the following can be given as an answer to the question “why does ferritin deficiency occur?”:
- Ferritin deficiency in women can often be caused by frequent pregnancies. Ferritin deficiency is seen especially in female conditions such as miscarriage, premature birth and abortion.
- The presence of overcooked meats among the foods preferred as food can cause ferritin deficiency. Consumption of processed meat products also affects the formation of deficiencies.
- Vitamin C deficiency can lead to low ferritin.
- If a patient has health problems such as stomach and intestinal problems, ferritin may be low.
- People with chronic diseases may also have low ferritin.
- A person is expected to experience low ferritin levels after experiencing blood loss. Therefore, the patient is recommended to have a test.
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