Episode Details

Dr. Heather's ferritin was 9 four months postpartum, and she had a doctorate in clinical nutrition at the time. She still couldn't fix her own labs, and she spent months doing exactly what you've been doing: assuming she had the wrong iron rather than the wrong theory.
 This episode takes apart the belief that almost every woman with low ferritin is operating under. Low ferritin, therefore more iron. It's the most reasonable belief available, it's what your doctor believes, and for some women it works perfectly. If you're still listening to podcasts about your ferritin, you're not one of those women.
 Dr. Heather explains how ferritin works like savings, and taking iron is making a deposit. You can walk into the bank every week and hand them twenty dollars, and if you're spending more than you earn, your savings will not grow.
 Then she covers the three places the deposit disappears, plus the reframe for anyone who finishes this episode feeling like they wasted two years and four hundred dollars on supplements.
 What you'll learn in this episode:

• Why the belief that iron fixes low ferritin keeps women stuck for years, and how it converts every failure into a reason to try the same thing again
• What your ferritin number actually reports, and why it can't tell you anything about the cause on its own
• The three places your iron goes missing
• Why some women feel worse on high-dose iron rather than better
• The four blood markers to hold out for if your provider will only run a handful

Keep listening

Start with Dr. Heather's Story
Ep. 99: Why Iron Wasn't the Answer for My Low Ferritin

The full Iron & Ferritin Series
Ep. 112: Why You're Not Absorbing Iron (Even If You Are Supplementing)
Ep. 113: Why Your Iron Is Stuck & Ferritin Is High
Ep. 114: How Jessica Increased Her Ferritin by 20 Points in 2 Months 

More on where the deposit disappears
Ep. 100: Why Constipation Is Blocking Your Iron
Ep. 108: Why You're Still Constipated: The Low Stomach Acid Connection
Ep. 104: The Hidden Link Between SIBO, Iron & Ferritin 

More on the minerals that move it
Ep. 125: Iron, Copper, and Gut Irony Roundtable
Ep. 121: Why Minerals Fix What Protocols Can't with Lisa Pitel-Killah

Taking iron but your ferritin won't budge? Join me LIVE for "Why Iron Isn't Enough" 

Early bird pricing if $27 is available through Sept 24th! Sign Up Here! (replay available for registrants) 

Connect + Next Steps

Want daily education, stories, and gut-friendly support?
Follow Dr. Heather on Instagram

Ready for personalized 1:1 support and a clear plan?
Apply for gutTogether®

Want a chance to win a free HTMA Bundle? Leave a rating & review and email it to happygut@drheatherfinley.co with [PODCAST REVIEW] in the subject line! We choose a new winner every month!