Anti-aging enthusiast and billionaire Brian Johnson recently shared his diagnosis of autoimmune gastritis (AIG), an immune disorder in which his body attacks the lining of his stomach. Despite his extravagant, multi-million dollar health regimen, Johnson was unable to avoid the diagnosis. However, is his quest for immortality to blame, or should the focus and study shift to the one thing that doesn’t seem to pay off – high ferritin levels?
What is ferritin?
Ferritin is a protein in the body that stores iron inside cells and releases it in a controlled manner, which is especially important because free iron can cause the development of free radicals.
The distinction between ferritin and iron is important because ferritin is a complex protein that stores iron and maintains a steady supply, while iron is a mineral that is important for various body processes, including the production of hemoglobin.
A ferritin test measures how much iron is in the body, and low ferritin levels indicate iron deficiency, and high ferritin levels indicate iron overload, commonly caused by liver disease, infections, inflammation, and some cancers.
Johnson and Ferritin
Johnson addressed X and spoke about him Diagnosis of autoimmune gastritis (AIG).and he shared that while his hemoglobin levels looked perfectly fine, his ferritin levels were persistently low, and so he was experiencing iron starvation at the cellular level without the usual symptoms of anemia.
As confusing as it may sound, the year is 2025 to read It found that while iron deficiency anemia (IDA) affects at least 1.2 billion people worldwide, iron deficiency anemia (IDWA) is actually twice as common.
Hemoglobin is essential for body processes, so most of the focus is on it rather than storing iron in storage. Thus, if the hemoglobin level is healthy, a decrease in the level of stored iron is not much considered. However, even if hemoglobin levels are not optimal, the body uses stored iron to continue producing hemoglobin and maintain healthy levels while ferritin levels decrease.
Unfortunately, if iron loss continues and ferritin is not replenished, eventually the body will run out of stored iron and hemoglobin levels will drop, and the person will likely be diagnosed with iron deficiency anemia.
What causes low ferritin?
There are several factors that can cause low ferritin, including:
- Heavy blood loss – menstrual periods, frequent blood transfusions and gastrointestinal bleeding
- Poor absorption – some conditions, such as celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease and autoimmune gastritis, can affect the absorption of dietary iron.
- Bad food – Iron in plant foods is usually harder to absorb.
- Increase in demand – Young children, pregnant women, and athletes generally need more iron than others.
- Medicines – Some medications can interfere with iron absorption.
Low ferritin levels are also more common in people with the following conditions:
- Restless legs syndrome – low iron levels trigger restless forces
- Fibromyalgia – low iron levels can make it worse fibromyalgia symptoms
- Anxiety or depression – low iron levels general in people living with anxiety or depression
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – Inadequate iron levels can directly worsen ADHD symptoms such as brain fog, fatigue, and poor concentration.
Symptoms of low ferritin
“Most people treat anemia as a threshold. But long before the hemoglobin drops, low iron starves the enzymes your cells depend on. . . . That’s why you can experience fatigue, brain fog, and poor stamina.” – Brian Johnson, X
Although not anemic, low ferritin can often cause similar symptoms, including:
- tiredness
- dizziness
- Headache
- Weakness
- Low concentration
- Changes in mood
- Pale skin
Increase the level of ferritin
If you want to improve your ferritin level, regular blood tests are necessary to check your ferritin level and learn an effective strategy. Normal ferritin levels are usually between 12 and 300 nanograms per milliliter of blood (ng/ml) for men and between 12 and 150 ng/ml for women.
Improving ferritin levels means improving iron levels, and this can start by prioritizing a diet rich in heme iron (animal sources) from red meat, poultry and fish, and non-heme iron (plant sources) from lentils, beans and leafy greens. Foods rich in vitamin C such as red peppers, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, strawberries and citrus fruits help to increase iron absorption.
It is also recommended to avoid substances that inhibit iron absorption, such as phytates, polyphenols and excessive calcium.
From a medical point of view, iron supplements can help, but they should be used under the supervision and with the permission of a medical doctor, because iron overload possible and can be dangerous.
Additionally, iron infusions are also an option, but they are only recommended when oral iron supplements have failed and are necessary when iron levels rise rapidly.
Want to learn more?
80% of adults in the US drink coffee every day, but can coffee and caffeine negatively affect iron absorption? If you struggle with iron deficiency, you may want to read on and rethink how and when you drink your coffee.
Quotes
Alzaabi, FM, Al Taravneh, DJ, Al Taravneh, YJ, Khan, A., Muqsit Khan, MA, Siddiqui, TW, Siddiqui, RW, Hayyan Nishat, SM, Alzaabi, AA, & Siddiqui, SW (2025). Restless legs and iron deficiency: unlocking the hidden link and unlocking the relief. Cureus, 17(4), e82413. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.82413
Araujo, T., Rodriguez, M., & Campos, D. (2026). Effect of serum ferritin on the pathophysiology of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder: What is the evidence? Cureus, 18(2), e103196. https://doi.org/10.7759/cureus.103196
Zamani, S., Abed, M., Amini, A., & Ghorbanpour, A. (2025). Review of the general health and mental health of individuals with iron deficiency anemia. International Journal of Psychiatry in Medicine. https://doi.org/1382660
Read more about Brian Johnson
Brian Johnson’s Quest for Immortality hits the wall.
