You’re going to learn about the most common cause of high ferritin—which is not iron overload, but insulin resistance. You’ll also learn how to determine whether you have it and how to fix it.
My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano from the Natural Medicine Clinic in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, and author of the FreeDiet®. I’ve been blessed to have seen over 100,000 patient visits over the last 39 years, many involving thyroid issues—and abnormal ferritin is something I see all the time.
This patient was one of them.
Patient Background: High Ferritin After Donating Blood
A 44-year-old man came in after being told to donate blood for high ferritin. But instead of lowering it, his ferritin went up another 100 points, reaching 839.
Normal ferritin for men is 30–400, although optimal is closer to 50–80.
He had:
- Fatigue
- Joint pain
- Anxiety
- Insomnia
- Heartburn
- Other digestive symptoms
Step 1: Get the Proper Testing
To figure out ferritin issues, you need more than basic labs.
Minimum Ferritin Evaluation Panel
- CBC
- Comprehensive metabolic panel
- Lipids
- TSH
- Ferritin
- Serum iron
- Iron saturation
- TIBC
- CRP
- LDH
- GGT
- Insulin
- A1C
- Uric acid
- Free T4
- Free T3
Additional Helpful Markers
- ANA
- TPO antibodies
- Thyroglobulin antibodies
- Reverse T3
- DHEA
- Cortisol
- Testosterone
- Estradiol
- IGF-1
- SHBG
- B12
- Folate
- Vitamin D
His Lab Results: Clear Signs of Insulin Resistance
His results showed:
- High uric acid
- High insulin
- High cholesterol
- High LDL
- High triglycerides
- High GGT
- High ferritin
But his iron and saturation were not high, meaning he did not have iron overload.
His glucose and A1C were normal, but his insulin was 10.6 (optimal is 2–4).
How to Calculate Insulin Resistance (HOMA-IR)
There’s a calculation called HOMA-IR:
Insulin × Glucose ÷ 405
Ideal range: 0.5–1.0
His result: 2.4, clearly indicating insulin resistance.
This is why relying only on glucose or A1C can miss the real problem.
Additional Functional Testing
He also had:
- Nutrient deficiencies
- Toxins
- Food reactions (including gluten)
- Leaky gut
- High candida antibodies
- Adrenal dysfunction
Results After One Month
After one month on the proper diet and supplements:
- Ferritin dropped from 839 → 202
- Uric acid normalized
- Insulin normalized
- Cholesterol improved
- LDL improved
- Triglycerides improved
- GGT improved
- HOMA-IR improved from high 2.4 → 1.0 normal
He also experienced:
- More energy
- Less pain
- Better mood
- Better sleep
- Gut symptoms resolved
- Lost 13 lbs of excess weight
How He Did It: The FreeDiet®
The FreeDiet® is a diet I developed years ago while healing my own autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, fatigue, skin issues, and other chronic health problems.
What the FreeDiet® Removes
It’s free of:
- Gluten
- Gluten grains
- Sugar
- Yeast
- Dairy
- Eggs
- Soy
- Legumes
- Nightshades
- Processed foods
These are the foods most commonly responsible for inflammation, gut issues, thyroid dysfunction, and chronic health problems.
What He Ate
- Breakfast: A nutrient-dense smoothie – the FreeDiet® super smoothie
- Lunch & Dinner: Beef, chicken, or fish with plenty of vegetables and healthy fats
For insulin resistance:
- Avoid snacking between meals
- Avoid eating within 3 hours of bedtime
I’ll include a link below for the FreeDiet® Phase 1 food chart.
Supplements That Supported His Recovery
He took the Functional Five:
- Multivitamin
- Vitamin D with K
- Magnesium
- Fish oil
- Probiotic
Plus:
- Gut-supportive supplements
- Curcumin
- CardioMetaboliX (berberine + alpha-lipoic acid)
- Vitamin C
- B-complex
- Other nutrients he was deficient in
Important Note
You’ll read online: “Don’t take vitamin C if you have high ferritin.”
He took vitamin C—and his ferritin still dropped over 600 points.
He also ate beef regularly—and ferritin still dropped.
When he only donated blood, ferritin went up.
This is why identifying the root cause is essential.
Should You Donate Blood?
Blood donation can help if:
- Ferritin is high
- Iron saturation is high
- Hemoglobin and hematocrit are mid-to-high range
In his case, hemoglobin was high, so donation was helpful after addressing insulin resistance.
The Bottom Line: Fix the Root Cause
If you have high ferritin:
- Don’t assume it’s iron overload
- Don’t rush to donate blood
- Get the proper testing first
When you uncover the root causes and are provided the right solutions, I believe almost anyone can get better.
Go here if you would like a free copy of the FreeDiet® phase 1 food chart.
