Today you’re going to learn about two other hidden causes of high ferritin—alcohol use and liver disease—and what to do about them.
My name is Dr. Tom Rofrano, 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 levels are something I see frequently. This patient was no exception.
Patient Background: Fatigue, Insomnia & Weight Gain
A 50-year-old man came in with:
- Fatigue
- Insomnia
- Weight gain
I had previously helped him with gut and thyroid issues, but this time his lab results revealed something more serious.
His labs showed:
- High serum iron
- High iron saturation
- Low iron-binding capacity
- Above-optimal ferritin
- High insulin
- High CRP (inflammation)
- Very high liver enzymes (ALT, AST, GGT)
I ordered a liver ultrasound, which showed fatty liver.
The Hidden Cause: Excessive Alcohol Intake
It turns out he had been drinking over 12 seltzers a day, each containing the alcohol equivalent of a beer. In the months before that, he had been drinking over 20 a day.
For reference:
- More than 2 alcoholic drinks per day
- Or more than 14 drinks per week
…can increase ferritin levels.
He was consuming a week’s worth of alcohol in a single day.
Alcohol excess can:
- Damage the liver
- Increase iron absorption
- Disrupt iron metabolism
- Raise ferritin levels
Between the alcohol increasing iron absorption and the liver dysfunction, he developed iron overload.
How We Helped Him Recover
There were three key steps:
- Stop Drinking Alcohol
This was essential to allow the liver to heal and ferritin levels to normalize.
- Follow a Specific Anti-Inflammatory Diet
I put him on the FreeDiet®, which I developed years ago while healing my own autoimmune Hashimoto’s thyroid and rheumatoid arthritis, IBS, fatigue, skin issues, and other chronic health problems.
The FreeDiet® is free of:
- 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.
If you’d like a copy of the FreeDiet® Phase 1 food chart, I’ll include a link below.
- Donate Blood (One Time)
Because his iron and iron saturation were extremely high, he needed one phlebotomy to quickly reduce iron levels.
His Results After 2.5 Months
At 2.5 months, he came in feeling significantly better:
- More energy
- Sleeping better
- Down 20 lbs of excess weight
His labs showed dramatic improvements:
- Liver enzymes dropped over 86% to normal
- Iron and iron saturation dropped over 70% to normal
- Iron-binding capacity normalized
- Ferritin dropped 66% to optimal levels
- Insulin and CRP improved to more optimal levels
Supplements That Supported His Recovery
He took the Functional Five, the foundational nutrients I find most people need:
- Multivitamin
- Fish oil
- Vitamin D with K
- Magnesium
- Probiotic
Additional support included:
- CardioMetaboliX (berberine + alpha-lipoic acid)
- Curcumin
- Liver support nutrients
- Resveratrol & Quercetin
- Nutrients he tested low in: CoQ10, methylfolate, B12, vitamin C, and others
The Bottom Line: High Ferritin Has More Than One Cause
If you’re dealing with high ferritin or iron overload, it’s usually not as simple as:
- “Don’t eat red meat.”
- “Avoid vitamin C.”
- “Just donate blood forever.”
As you can see from this patient—and many others—there are multiple causes of high ferritin beyond hemochromatosis or excess iron intake.
When you get the proper testing 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.
