Get tested with Superpower

If you’ve been postponing blood testing for years or feel frustrated by doctor appointments and limited lab panels, you are not alone. Standard healthcare is often reactive, focusing on testing only after symptoms appear or leaving patients in the dark.

Superpower flips that approach. We give you full insight into your body with over 100 biomarkers, personalized action plans, long-term tracking, and answers to your questions, so you can stay ahead of any health issues.

With physician-reviewed results, CLIA-certified labs, and the option for at-home blood draws, Superpower is designed for people who want clarity, convenience, and real accountability - all in one place.

Key benefits of Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) testing

• Measures your blood's capacity to transport iron throughout your body.
• Flags iron deficiency before anemia develops, catching imbalance early.
• Clarifies fatigue, weakness, or brain fog tied to low iron stores.
• Distinguishes iron deficiency from chronic inflammation affecting iron levels.
• Guides personalized iron supplementation to restore healthy levels safely.
• Tracks response to treatment, confirming your iron status is improving.
• Best interpreted with serum iron and ferritin for complete iron assessment.

What is Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC)?

Total iron binding capacity measures how much iron your blood can carry at maximum capacity. It reflects the amount of transferrin, a protein made by your liver that acts as iron's dedicated transport vehicle through your bloodstream.

Think of transferrin as a fleet of delivery trucks circulating in your blood, each with slots designed to hold iron atoms. TIBC tells you the total carrying capacity of that entire fleet, whether the trucks are full, partially loaded, or empty.

Your body's iron transport system

When you absorb iron from food or when old red blood cells are recycled, that iron must be safely shuttled to your bone marrow, liver, and other tissues. Transferrin binds tightly to iron atoms and delivers them where needed.

What TIBC reveals about iron balance

TIBC rises when your body senses low iron stores and produces more transferrin to capture whatever iron becomes available. It falls when iron is plentiful or when your liver isn't producing enough transferrin due to inflammation or malnutrition.

Why is Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) important?

TIBC measures how much transferrin, your blood's iron-transport protein, is available to carry iron throughout your body. It reflects your liver's production of transferrin and reveals whether your system is starved for iron or overwhelmed by it. Normal values typically range from 240 to 450, with optimal levels sitting comfortably in the middle, signaling balanced iron metabolism and healthy protein synthesis.

When your body hoards its transport trucks

When TIBC drops below normal, it often means your liver isn't producing enough transferrin. This happens in chronic inflammation, liver disease, malnutrition, or protein-losing conditions like nephrotic syndrome. You may feel fatigued not from iron deficiency, but from the underlying illness suppressing protein production and disrupting nutrient delivery across tissues.

When your system calls for more iron carriers

Elevated TIBC signals that your body is ramping up transferrin production, usually because iron stores are depleted. This is the hallmark of iron deficiency anemia, often seen in women with heavy menstrual bleeding, pregnant women with increased demands, or anyone with chronic blood loss. You may experience fatigue, pale skin, brittle nails, and difficulty concentrating as tissues struggle to receive adequate oxygen.

The iron-protein-inflammation connection

TIBC doesn't work alone. It must be interpreted alongside serum iron and ferritin to distinguish true iron deficiency from anemia of chronic disease. Over time, untreated iron imbalance affects oxygen delivery, immune function, and cognitive performance, making TIBC a vital window into your body's metabolic and inflammatory state.

What do my Total Iron Binding Capacity (TIBC) results mean?

Low TIBC values

Low values usually reflect reduced transferrin production or excess iron saturation. This occurs most often in chronic inflammation, liver disease, malnutrition, or iron overload states like hemochromatosis. When transferrin levels drop, the blood's capacity to safely transport iron diminishes, which can signal impaired protein synthesis or a shift toward storing rather than mobilizing iron.

Optimal TIBC values

Being in range suggests your liver is producing adequate transferrin and your iron transport system is functioning normally. Optimal values typically sit in the mid to upper portion of the reference range, reflecting healthy iron turnover and sufficient binding capacity to meet physiologic demands without excess saturation.

High TIBC values

High values usually reflect iron deficiency or increased transferrin production in response to low iron stores. The body compensates by making more binding protein to capture whatever iron is available. This pattern is common in iron deficiency anemia, pregnancy, and oral contraceptive use. Elevated TIBC signals that your system is actively trying to mobilize and transport more iron.

Factors that influence TIBC interpretation

TIBC is best interpreted alongside serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin saturation. Pregnancy and estrogen therapy raise TIBC physiologically. Acute illness, inflammation, and chronic disease suppress it. Assay methods vary slightly across laboratories, so trends over time within the same lab are most informative.