A blog to help you optimize your full-body and life performance

Measuring your iron levels to make sure you are meeting your needs is key. After all, you can’t monitor what you don’t measure. But even we’ll admit, not all science is easily translated into plain English. That’s exactly what we strive to do here at InsideTracker. And we’ve just made understanding your iron group easier than ever!

Your iron group is comprised of five biomarkers: ferritin, hemoglobin, TS, blood iron, and total iron binding capacity. These five markers measure things like iron storage, the amount of iron your blood can carry, and the amount of oxygen your blood can circulate throughout your body. Tracking your iron group can give you a view into whether you're meeting, exceeding, or falling short of your body's iron needs.

By adding a short interpretation to your iron group, we hope it will help you understand your specific combination of iron markers and how they all work together.

One factor that you may not have expected to affect your iron group is inflammation. So, could it be affecting your iron group? Here’s what you need to know...

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Why is iron important to the body?

The human body requires iron to perform many vital physiological functions. For instance, iron is the key component of hemoglobin that allows red blood cells to transport oxygen throughout the body, and it plays a key role in cell growth and differentiation. According to the World Health Organization, up to 80% of the people in the world may be iron deficient. Premenopausal women, particularly those who exercise regularly, face a great risk of iron deficiency, or even anemia. Athletic, active males are also at high risk for iron deficiency. Low levels of iron can leave you feeling physically tired and weak, impair mental function, and weaken the immune system. Having too much iron in the body, on the other hand, can poison certain organs and even cause death. Maintaining the optimal balance of iron within the body is therefore essential to one’s health.

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