Is Ferritin useful for stress?

Ferritin is primarily a marker of body iron stores and is used clinically to diagnose iron deficiency or overload. A direct link to psychological or physiological stress is not well established in the scientific literature. While chronic stress may indirectly affect iron metabolism via inflammation or altered dietary intake, ferritin alone is not a validated stress biomarker. In consumer lab tests, ferritin is often marketed as part of a 'wellness panel', but the evidence for its standalone utility regarding stress is weak. High ferritin may indicate hemochromatosis or inflammation, low ferritin indicates iron deficiency – both require medical follow-up. Without additional context markers (e.g., CRP, cortisol), its usefulness for stress assessment remains unclear. Evidence: mechanistic/unclear. Caveat: marketing often overstates the significance of single biomarkers.