Iron Isn’t the Answer: Why Low Ferritin Is a Warning Not a Deficiency

Recently I attended a seminar with Professor Douglas Kell and Morley Robbins. Their focus? The tangled relationship between iron, copper, and something called microclotting, and how this triad underpins many of the chronic symptoms we see in children with autism, PANS, and PANDAS.

Much of what they shared echoed what we already work with clinically. This isn’t new territory for us. But hearing it laid out with such clarity – the biochemistry, the pathology, the peer-reviewed data – confirmed that the model we follow is already aligned with the science.

If your child is struggling with fatigue, crashes after viruses, tics, sleep disruption, brain fog, or regression after stress or infection, this matters.

Here’s what’s happening underneath.

Low Ferritin: Not Always Straightforward

Ferritin usually rises in inflammation. It’s an acute phase protein. The body increases it to lock away iron and limit oxidative stress. So when ferritin is genuinely low, especially in a child with complex symptoms, it suggests iron is not being stored or recycled properly.

This can happen when copper is low, retinol is depleted, or liver function is compromised. The system designed to keep iron moving safely has broken down.

Adding iron here without understanding the full picture often can make things worse. It can increase oxidative stress, fuel infections, and inflame vulnerable tissues. We see this repeatedly in children with neuroimmune conditions. The behaviour shifts, regressions, and sensory overload that follow are not coincidental.

Copper: The Master Regulator

Copper is central to iron regulation, mitochondrial energy production, neurotransmitter balance, histamine clearance, and immune control. It activates enzymes that move iron out of cells and prevents it from oxidising and triggering inflammation.

The key protein is ceruloplasmin. Without enough bioavailable copper to activate it, iron becomes stuck and chaotic. This shows up as low energy, anxiety, inflammation, and persistent neurological symptoms – the very things we are trying to calm.

Copper is not a side note. It is upstream of most of what we see in clinic.

The Microclot Problem

When the body is under stress such as infection, inflammation, unbound iron or spike protein exposure, fibrinogen can shift into an altered amyloid like structure. These altered fibres form microclots that are dense, adhesive and resistant to normal breakdown. Ceruloplasmin regulates the oxidative and iron environment that influences this fibrin behaviour. Low bioavailable copper disrupts this regulation and increases the likelihood of abnormal fibrin formation.

These microclots:

– Block oxygen delivery
– Disrupt circulation at the capillary level
– Reduce mitochondrial output
– Fuel ongoing immune activation

They have now been identified in Long Covid, stroke, ME/CFS, and increasingly in children with neuroimmune symptoms.

If your child struggles with pallor, fatigue, exertional crashes, post-viral dips, or sudden neuropsychiatric flare-ups, this mechanism matters. Oxygen is not getting through. It is not a behavioural issue. It is vascular and metabolic.

Why This Changes How We Intervene

Symptoms like tics, OCD, aggression, fatigue, sensory overload, and insomnia are not random. They are not just “part of the condition.” They follow a pattern:

– Iron gets stuck
– Oxygen delivery drops
– Mitochondria stall
– Inflammation and histamine rise
– Brain and immune symptoms intensify

We do not chase symptoms. We identify blocks – mineral, mitochondrial, microbial – and remove them in sequence. That means:

– Supporting copper and retinol
– Avoiding unneeded iron
– Supporting fibrinolysis where needed
– Calming oxidative stress with precision
– Restoring nutrient signalling

None of this is theoretical. It is measurable. And it is already embedded in the work we do.

The Takeaway

This seminar did not offer something new to try. It reinforced what we already do. The science is catching up with what clinical patterns have been showing for years.

Your child is navigating a body under pressure. With the right support, the path Your child is navigating a body doing its best to adapt. The path out is clear when you know where to look.

IMPORTANT

The information provided in this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is crucial to consult with medical doctors or qualified functional medicine practitioners to address specific health concerns and obtain personalised guidance tailored to individual needs. Never add any supplements to your plan until it has been assessed and approved by your medical doctor or a suitably qualified practitioner who is familiar with your health history.

Concerned about your child’s health? We’d love to have a chat with you.

References

1. Kell, D.B., 2009. Iron behaving badly: inappropriate iron chelation as a major contributor to the aetiology of vascular and other progressive inflammatory and degenerative diseases. BMC Medical Genomics, 2(2). https://doi.org/10.1186/1755-8794-2-2

2. Vallee, B.L. and Adelsman, A., 1961. Ceruloplasmin and copper metabolism in man. New England Journal of Medicine, 265(18), pp.892–897. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJM196111022651806

3. Wallace, D.C., 2005. A mitochondrial paradigm of metabolic and degenerative diseases, aging, and cancer: a dawn for evolutionary medicine. Annual Review of Genetics, 39, pp.359–407. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.genet.39.110304.095751

4. Weiss, G. and Goodnough, L.T., 2005. Anemia of chronic disease. New England Journal of Medicine, 352(10), pp.1011–1023. https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMra041809

5. Robbins Morley “[Cu]re Your Fatigue” Second Edition. RCP Press. 2025.

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