What is iron saturation?

Iron saturation measures the amount of iron that is present in the blood. Therefore, low iron saturation means that there is a low amount of iron in the blood, which may indicate an iron deficiency. 

What are normal iron saturation levels?

There are a few ways to measure normal iron saturation levels.

• Total iron-binding capacity (TIBC). TIBC is a test that can indicate iron saturation levels. The normal range for TIBC is 250–450 mcg/dl, so a value higher than this range may indicate iron deficiency or low iron saturation [1].

• Transferrin. Transferrin saturation is calculated as the ratio of iron to transferrin or iron to total iron-binding capacity, and may indicate iron saturation levels in the blood [2].  The normal range for transferrin is 204–360 mg/dL, so any amount higher than this indicates a low level of iron saturation [3]. 

• Serum iron test. This test measures the level of iron in the blood. The normal range for serum iron is 70–175 mcg/dl for males and 50–170 mcg/dl for females [4]. Values below these reference ranges also indicate a low iron saturation.