Understanding What Depletes Your Ferritin Levels: A Comprehensive Guide

November 18, 2025 •

4 min read

According to the World Health Organization, iron deficiency is the most common nutritional disorder worldwide. Understanding what depletes your ferritin levels is a crucial first step for addressing this prevalent issue and restoring your body's vital iron stores.

Quick Summary

Low ferritin levels are caused by inadequate iron intake, chronic or acute blood loss, poor iron absorption due to certain conditions, and increased bodily demands during key life stages.

Key Points

Blood Loss: Chronic, ongoing blood loss from heavy menstrual periods, internal GI bleeding, or frequent blood donations is a leading cause of low ferritin.
Malabsorption: Conditions like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, and bariatric surgery can prevent the body from absorbing iron properly from food.
Dietary Factors: Inadequate intake of iron-rich foods, especially with vegetarian or vegan diets, or consuming absorption inhibitors like coffee and tea with meals can deplete stores.
Increased Need: Life stages with higher iron requirements, such as pregnancy, rapid growth in adolescence, or intense athletic training, can lead to ferritin depletion.
Chronic Inflammation: Systemic inflammation from certain diseases affects how the body manages and uses iron, sometimes leading to low ferritin.
Medications: Regular use of certain drugs, like NSAIDs and proton pump inhibitors, can increase the risk of GI bleeding and affect iron status.

What is Ferritin?

Ferritin is a protein that stores iron inside your cells and is critical for managing your body's iron supply. A blood test measures ferritin levels to gauge how much iron is stored in your body, rather than how much is currently circulating. When iron intake is insufficient or iron is lost excessively, your body draws from its ferritin stores, causing them to deplete over time. Identifying the specific cause is essential for effective treatment and restoring healthy levels. Below are the key factors that can cause your ferritin stores to fall.

Chronic Blood Loss

Chronic and ongoing blood loss is a primary reason for ferritin depletion, often occurring without noticeable symptoms at first.

Common Sources of Blood Loss

Heavy Menstrual Periods: Menstruating women, especially those with heavy periods, are at a significant risk for iron depletion due to regular blood loss.
Gastrointestinal (GI) Bleeding: Internal bleeding from the stomach or intestines can silently deplete iron stores. This can be caused by:
- Stomach ulcers
- Bowel polyps or cancer
- Inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) like Crohn's and ulcerative colitis
- Regular use of NSAID medications (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen)
Frequent Blood Donation: Regular blood donors lose a significant amount of iron with each donation and need to ensure adequate intake to replenish their stores.
Other Bleeding Events: Acute or chronic blood loss from injuries, surgery, nosebleeds, or urinary tract bleeding can also contribute to lower ferritin levels.

Malabsorption Disorders and Chronic Conditions

Some health conditions prevent the body from properly absorbing iron from food, even with an adequate diet.

Conditions That Impair Iron Absorption

Celiac Disease: This autoimmune disorder damages the small intestine's lining, hindering nutrient absorption, including iron.
Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD): Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis cause chronic inflammation, which can affect iron absorption and use.
Bariatric Surgery: Surgical procedures on the stomach or intestines can alter digestive processes, reducing the body's ability to absorb iron.
Chronic Kidney Disease: Impaired kidney function can lead to a shortage of erythropoietin, a hormone that stimulates red blood cell production, contributing to iron deficiency.
Chronic Inflammation: Conditions causing persistent inflammation can affect iron regulation, trapping it within storage pools and making it less available for use.

Increased Physiological Need

Periods of high demand for iron can quickly exhaust the body's ferritin reserves if not met by increased intake.

High-Demand Scenarios

Pregnancy and Breastfeeding: The body requires significantly more iron to support both the mother and the developing fetus or infant, often necessitating supplements.
Rapid Growth: Teenagers, particularly adolescent girls, experience a growth spurt and also have increased iron needs that can deplete ferritin.
Intense Exercise: Endurance athletes may have higher iron requirements due to increased red blood cell production, potential iron loss through sweat, and minor blood cell damage.

Dietary Factors and Habits

Poor dietary choices and habits can either lead to insufficient iron intake or actively inhibit its absorption.

Common Dietary Pitfalls

Low Iron Intake: Vegetarian and vegan diets, if not carefully planned, can result in a lower intake of easily absorbed heme iron. A diet rich in processed foods also lacks sufficient iron.
Inhibitors: Certain substances can hinder iron absorption:
- Tannins: Found in tea, coffee, and wine.
- Calcium: Can inhibit the absorption of non-heme iron.
- Phytates: Present in whole grains, seeds, and legumes.
Excessive Cow's Milk: In toddlers, drinking too much cow's milk can lead to iron deficiency by displacing solid foods and inhibiting iron absorption.

Comparison of Heme vs. Non-Heme Iron Absorption

Understanding the two types of dietary iron is key to preventing depletion, especially when making dietary adjustments.


Feature	Heme Iron	Non-Heme Iron
Source	Animal products (meat, poultry, seafood)	Plant-based foods (leafy greens, beans, nuts, fortified grains)
Absorption Rate	Highly bioavailable; absorbed easily by the body.	Poorly absorbed; absorption is influenced by other dietary factors.
Enhancers	No specific enhancers needed.	Vitamin C significantly increases absorption.
Inhibitors	Less affected by inhibitors like tannins and phytates.	Inhibited by tannins, phytates, and calcium.

Conclusion

Ferritin depletion is a common condition with a range of underlying causes, from lifestyle and dietary choices to chronic medical issues. Whether it is due to chronic blood loss, poor iron absorption, or increased physiological needs, addressing the root cause is crucial. For many, increasing dietary iron, managing absorption inhibitors, and monitoring high-risk periods can be effective. If you suspect your ferritin levels are low, especially if you experience symptoms like fatigue or weakness, it is important to consult a healthcare professional for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. A comprehensive approach that identifies and corrects the specific cause of depletion is the most successful path to restoring your body's iron stores. For more information on iron deficiency, consult the resources from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.(https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/anemia/iron-deficiency-anemia)

Frequently Asked Questions

Low ferritin specifically indicates low iron stores in the body. While it's an early sign of iron deficiency, low iron levels can also refer to full-blown iron-deficiency anemia, which includes low hemoglobin levels.

Yes, a diet low in iron-rich foods, particularly if it lacks sources of easily absorbed heme iron (like red meat), can cause ferritin levels to drop over time. Poor dietary planning, common in vegetarian or vegan diets, is a risk factor.

Yes, heavy menstrual bleeding is a very common cause of chronic blood loss in women of childbearing age, leading to significant and persistent iron depletion that can be detected via low ferritin.

You can significantly increase the absorption of non-heme iron from plants by pairing it with a source of vitamin C. For example, add lemon juice to spinach or have a glass of orange juice with a bean-based meal.

To maximize absorption, avoid drinking coffee, tea, or excess dairy products with iron-rich meals. The tannins in coffee/tea and the calcium in dairy can inhibit iron absorption.

Yes, endurance athletes are prone to iron deficiency. High-intensity training increases iron needs for red blood cell production, and iron can also be lost through sweat.

Common symptoms of low ferritin and iron depletion include fatigue, weakness, pale skin, hair loss, and restless legs syndrome. These symptoms often appear before a person becomes anemic.