Iron Deficiency & Anaemia: Test Your Iron Levels with a Blood Test

Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world, and anaemia caused by iron deficiency affects an estimated 1.2 billion people globally. In Sweden, iron deficiency is particularly common among women of reproductive age — studies suggest that up to 25 to 30 percent of menstruating women have depleted iron stores, and many are unaware because they have not been tested.

Iron is essential for producing haemoglobin, the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs to every tissue in your body. When iron stores are low, your body cannot produce enough healthy red blood cells, leading to reduced oxygen delivery and the hallmark symptoms of fatigue, weakness, and breathlessness. What many people do not realise is that iron deficiency exists on a spectrum.

You can have depleted iron stores (low ferritin) and experience significant symptoms long before your haemoglobin drops low enough to be classified as anaemia. This is called iron deficiency without anaemia, and it is frequently overlooked in standard health checks. We see many women with a ferritin below 30 who have been told that the value is normal.

At Wellth, our iron panels measure multiple markers to give you a complete picture — not just haemoglobin, but the full iron metabolism pathway.

Key Biomarkers for Iron Status

Ferritin

Ferritin is the most important marker for assessing iron stores. It reflects how much iron your body has in reserve. Low ferritin (below 30 micrograms per litre) indicates depleted iron stores, even if your haemoglobin is still normal.

Severely low ferritin (below 15) almost always warrants intervention.

Haemoglobin

Haemoglobin measures the oxygen-carrying protein in your red blood cells. Low haemoglobin (below 120 g/L in women or 130 g/L in men) indicates anaemia. However, haemoglobin is a late marker — it drops only after iron stores are significantly depleted.

Serum iron

Serum iron measures the amount of iron circulating in your blood, but it fluctuates throughout the day and is less reliable as a standalone marker.

Transferrin and transferrin saturation

Transferrin is the protein that transports iron in your blood. When iron is low, your body produces more transferrin to try to capture more iron. Transferrin saturation (the percentage of transferrin that is loaded with iron) is a key indicator — levels below 20 percent suggest inadequate iron supply.

Full blood count

A complete blood count (CBC) provides information about red blood cell size (MCV) and haemoglobin content (MCH), which helps identify the type of anaemia if present.

Iron Status Panel →Complete Blood Count →Fatigue Investigation Panel →

Signs You May Have Iron Deficiency

  • Persistent tiredness and low energy levels
  • Pale skin, nail beds, or inner eyelids
  • Shortness of breath during light physical activity
  • Dizziness or lightheadedness, especially when standing
  • Cold hands and feet
  • Brittle nails or spoon-shaped nails (koilonychia)
  • Headaches, particularly with exertion
  • Restless legs or an urge to move your legs at rest
  • Cravings for non-food items like ice (pica)
  • Heavy menstrual periods
  • Recent blood donation or surgery
  • Following a vegetarian or vegan diet

What Your Results Might Show

Low ferritin, normal haemoglobin

If your ferritin is low (below 30) but your haemoglobin is normal, you have iron deficiency without anaemia. This is the most common stage and is often the easiest to treat with oral iron supplementation and dietary changes. Forms of iron vary significantly in absorption and tolerability; if you book an appointment, your practitioner can talk through which form and dose would suit you.

Iron-deficiency anaemia

If both your ferritin and haemoglobin are low, you have iron deficiency anaemia. The severity depends on how low your haemoglobin has dropped. Mild anaemia is common and typically managed with supplementation, while more severe anaemia may require medical referral for possible intravenous iron or further investigation.

High ferritin

If your ferritin is elevated, this can also be clinically significant — ferritin rises with inflammation, infection, and liver conditions, so high ferritin does not always mean high iron. Your transferrin saturation helps distinguish between true iron overload and inflammatory elevation of ferritin. Low transferrin saturation alongside low ferritin confirms iron deficiency.

Absorption

How much iron you absorb matters as much as how much you eat. Iron from meat and fish is taken up more easily than iron from plants, and a cup of tea or coffee with a meal can reduce absorption considerably. When their iron stores are built back up, many of the women we see notice a difference within a few months.

Your report

Your report will clearly explain which stage of iron deficiency you are in (if any) and outline a practical plan for improvement.

Order an Iron Status Panel

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to correct iron deficiency?
With appropriate supplementation, most people begin to feel better within 2 to 4 weeks as haemoglobin starts to rise. However, fully replenishing iron stores (normalising ferritin) typically takes 3 to 6 months of consistent supplementation. We recommend retesting your iron panel after 3 months to track progress.
What is the best form of iron supplement?
Iron bisglycinate (chelated iron) is generally the best-tolerated form with good absorption and fewer gastrointestinal side effects compared to ferrous sulphate, which is the most commonly prescribed form. Taking vitamin C alongside plant foods that contain iron may enhance absorption. Avoid taking iron with coffee, tea, dairy, or calcium supplements, as these inhibit absorption.
Can men be iron deficient?
Yes, though it is less common than in women. Iron deficiency in men and post-menopausal women should always be investigated for underlying causes such as gastrointestinal blood loss (ulcers, coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease), as they do not have the menstrual blood loss that explains deficiency in pre-menopausal women.
Why is ferritin a better marker than haemoglobin for iron status?
Haemoglobin only drops once your iron stores are severely depleted — it is a late indicator. Ferritin reflects your body's iron reserves and drops early in the depletion process, often long before anaemia develops. Many people with ferritin below 30 experience fatigue and other symptoms despite having a normal haemoglobin. Testing ferritin catches iron deficiency at a much earlier, more easily treatable stage.
Can I have iron deficiency without anaemia?
Yes, and it is common. Your body uses up its iron stores, measured as ferritin, long before haemoglobin falls. Low ferritin with normal haemoglobin can still cause tiredness, hair loss, restless legs and lower exercise capacity.
What is a normal ferritin level?
Laboratory reference ranges vary, and the lower limit is often around 10 to 15 micrograms per litre. Many clinicians consider values below 30 to mean low iron stores, especially when there are symptoms. Ferritin also rises with inflammation, so a normal value can hide low stores if you have an infection or an inflammatory condition at the time of testing.
What does high ferritin mean?
High ferritin is most often caused by inflammation, infection, alcohol, fatty liver or insulin resistance rather than too much iron. It can also be a sign of haemochromatosis, an inherited iron-overload condition that is relatively common in the Nordic countries. Transferrin saturation helps tell these apart, and persistently high values should be followed up with a doctor.
Can iron deficiency cause hair loss?
Yes. Low iron stores are one of the most common nutritional causes of thinning hair, particularly in women, and the hair often starts to shed before any anaemia shows. Because hair grows slowly, it can take several months after iron stores recover before you see a difference. It is often the hair, not the tiredness, that makes women get in touch with us.
What should I eat if I have low iron?
Red meat, liver, shellfish, fish and eggs provide iron in the form your body absorbs most easily, while dark leafy greens and pumpkin seeds provide iron from plants. Eating vitamin C-rich foods at the same meal and keeping tea and coffee apart from meals helps. How much food alone can do depends on how low your stores are and why.
NW

Reviewed by

Wellth Team

Wellth

Our content is written and reviewed by Wellth, and fact-checked against peer-reviewed research and current Swedish clinical guidelines.

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Important to know

Wellth does not diagnose or treat disease. We work with diet, lifestyle and preventive health, alongside the care you already have.

Our reports and sessions do not replace medical advice, and a test result should not be read as a diagnosis. We use both standard healthcare reference ranges and optimal ranges. A value can therefore be normal by healthcare standards and still fall outside the range associated with good health. That does not mean disease, but it can be a chance to act early.

Supplements are only recommended by a nutritional therapist as part of a consultation, never automatically from a test result.

If anything in your results needs to be looked at by a doctor, we will tell you clearly. Contact your healthcare provider if you are worried about your health. Call 1177 for advice, or 112 in an emergency.