Know your Iron. Know your health.
Test your Iron and 100+ other biomarkers in a single blood draw.
Normal range: 60 – 170 µg/dL (higher is better)
A serum iron test measures how much iron is circulating in your blood, bound to a transport protein called transferrin. Iron is essential for making hemoglobin (the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells). Too little iron causes anemia and fatigue. Too much can damage organs over time. Serum iron is best interpreted alongside TIBC and ferritin for the full picture, since it fluctuates throughout the day.
A normal Iron is 60 – 170 µg/dL. Higher is better.
Low serum iron is most commonly caused by iron deficiency from poor dietary intake, blood loss (heavy periods, GI bleeding), or impaired absorption (celiac disease, gastric bypass). Chronic inflammation suppresses iron release from stores, causing low serum iron even when total body iron is adequate.
High serum iron can indicate iron overload from hereditary hemochromatosis, repeated blood transfusions, or excessive supplementation. Iron levels fluctuate throughout the day, so morning fasting samples are most reliable.
Eating iron-rich foods (red meat, poultry, beans, spinach, fortified cereals) helps prevent deficiency. Vitamin C boosts iron absorption, while calcium, tea, and coffee can inhibit it. If you take iron supplements, taking them on an empty stomach with vitamin C improves absorption. Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) and antacids can reduce iron absorption over time. Women of reproductive age and frequent blood donors should be especially attentive to iron status.
Iron is most highly correlated with Mean Corpuscular Hemoglobin and High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein. Here are the top biomarkers correlated with Iron, based on 500,000 tests done by Empirical Health.
The percentage shows how strongly two biomarkers move together. A higher number means the relationship is stronger. Green = rises and falls together. Orange = one rises as the other falls.
You can test your Iron for $190 as part of Empirical's comprehensive health panel, which includes 100 biomarkers.
You can measure your Iron for at 2,200+ testing locations across the US. Click below and enter your zip code to browse locations near you.
Test your Iron and 100+ other biomarkers in a single blood draw.