70% of women and 40% of men have low iron

isabellapanzica9387
isabellapanzica9387 Posts: 68 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Last year I donated blood for the first time. Since then I tried to donate blood on two diffrent times and I was not allowed to donate because of my hemoglobin levels were to low. Last time was three weeks ago and I talked to the people their about how to raise my levels.

They said that iron makes hemoglobin and to raise my hemoglobin level I need to increase my iron intake. Then they gave me a paper that have iron rich foods on it and told me that it can take several weeks to raise hemoglobin levels.

Though so far I have been struggling to meet my iron intake goals on MFP and I just wanted to vent. I did some reserch and I am going to try out some new cerials that are high in iron.

During my reserch I also found out that aroud 70% of women and 40% of men have low iron levels.

So I though it was a safe bet that maybe there are a few people here that also struggle with iron intake as well and we can all disscuss what works best to help with this.

For example iron supplements vs eating high iron foods. How great is MFP at tracking the correct amount of iron in foods. Since chicken was listed as high in iron but for awhile I kept on seeing that iron wasent listed for some chicken entries. It changed resently but it made me dout how accurate the system is.

Info on low iron levels:
http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/43894/1/9789241596657_eng.pdf
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Replies

  • sy_19440
    sy_19440 Posts: 55 Member
    As someone who suffers from chronic iron deficiency getting enough iron rich foods can be tough. Red meats and green leafy veggies are the best but things like legumes and iron fortified cereals are good too. But remember that dairy products can impede iron absorption and shouldn't be eaten together regularly.

  • hillaryflicka92
    hillaryflicka92 Posts: 613 Member
    I was hospitalized this year due to anemia (In March). My hemo was 5.4 (fatal levels) ). I got 3 blood transfusions.
    My hemo still runs really low compared to most people (last test was 88).

    I currently take Feramax, and always take with vitamin C because it helps the absorption of iron. I also try to eat iron rich foods.

    Having low hemoglobin was something my doctor overlooked for a year, to the point it was a huge issue for me. It can cause serious issues - jumping pulse, racing heart, heart murmur, extreme fatigue, the list goes on.
  • ouryve
    ouryve Posts: 572 Member
    My iron levels are often on the borderline low side - it's been a life long thing for me. I supplement with spatone when I need to.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,610 Member
    Do get checked before taking iron. I thought I needed it because of my frequent periods and some Drs agreed ... but I always felt bad when I took iron supplements. One day a Dr actually tested me and it turns out my iron levels are a bit on the high side. Several Drs have repeated that test with the same result.

    I have been told not to take iron and to limit my vit c intake as well. And limited red meat.
  • lemurcat12
    lemurcat12 Posts: 30,886 Member
    MeganMoroz89 wrote: »
    And never take iron supplements unless a doctor had texted BOTH your iron and ferritin levels. A person who has iron overload, the opposite of anemia, (like me) can appear anemic if only iron is tested.

    This.

    I don't track iron. My iron/ferritin has been tested at various times and is fine. I'm nervous about people self-prescribing iron supplements (not saying OP is doing this, but the idea that most are low on iron might encourage that), because my mother had undiagnosed hemochromatosis and ended up with liver damage, among other things.
  • yirara
    yirara Posts: 9,941 Member
    It all depends on your GP I guess. When my ferritin levels falls below 30ish I start feeling miserable, out of breath like being on a very high mountain, heavy legs when moving. Yet my red blood cells are fine. If I listened to my GP who said my iron levels were find I'd still feel miserable.
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    My iron was fine last couple of times I had it checked. Just eat beans and greens, no problems with it.
  • cerise_noir
    cerise_noir Posts: 5,468 Member
    Liver is good for iron as well. Do get checked first. As others have said, the food database often lacks nutrition information.

    You could use usda database to double check the nutrition of the foods that you eat.
  • TonyB0588
    TonyB0588 Posts: 9,520 Member
    My doctor put me on Iron tablets earlier this year. I'm due for a retest just about now. Hoping the levels have improved, but strange enough I wasn't tracking that intake in my MFP chart.

    How can I set this to include Iron without removing one of the other things being tracked now?
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    edited October 2016
    isabellapanzica9387 wrote: »
    Last year I donated blood for the first time. Since then I tried to donate blood on two diffrent times and I was not allowed to donate because of my hemoglobin levels were to low. Last time was three weeks ago and I talked to the people their about how to raise my levels.

    They said that iron makes hemoglobin and to raise my hemoglobin level I need to increase my iron intake. Then they gave me a paper that have iron rich foods on it and told me that it can take several weeks to raise hemoglobin levels.

    Though so far I have been struggling to meet my iron intake goals on MFP and I just wanted to vent. I did some reserch and I am going to try out some new cerials that are high in iron.

    During my reserch I also found out that aroud 70% of women and 40% of men have low iron levels.

    So I though it was a safe bet that maybe there are a few people here that also struggle with iron intake as well and we can all disscuss what works best to help with this.

    For example iron supplements vs eating high iron foods. How great is MFP at tracking the correct amount of iron in foods. Since chicken was listed as high in iron but for awhile I kept on seeing that iron wasent listed for some chicken entries. It changed resently but it made me dout how accurate the system is.

    Info on low iron levels:
    http://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/10665/43894/1/9789241596657_eng.pdf

    I've successfully given blood twice, and at least two additional times been turned away due to low iron levels. The low level result / conclusion being from the quick pin prick test they do prior to blood donation. I bought a cheapo container of multivitamin pills with 100% daily value of iron, and that was what actually finally got my iron to the level that I was able to donate. Now one thing the lady who first measured my iron prior to blood donation did say, was that a "low" result at the donation site did not mean run to your doctor and get checked out. Just that it was not high enough to spare the quantity of blood they needed to take in one sitting. My levels were usually just shy of the allowed donation level.

    As far as my multi, I did stop taking it due to stomach pain afterwards, like within an hour or so, I'd be pretty much miserable for the rest of the day. I actually didn't have that problem when I would take it with a large, somewhat / high fat, high in vegetables meal for lunch. I was still taking it at lunch time, but since my lunches have become much lighter and I'm more like grazing throughout the day (previous diet was actually better), it's just not working. I don't mind taking the pill and actually would continue to if I didn't have the stomach issue. I have the Red Cross blood donation app on my phone and everything, just don't like the idea of making a trip and having my finger stuck when I'm almost certain my iron level won't be high enough for donation

    Edit: Forgot to mention, diets vary from one person to the next, but women also lose iron monthly at varying levels. Depending on where one falls on that scale, it could explain how much iron you get to "retain", if you will
  • DancingMoosie
    DancingMoosie Posts: 8,619 Member
    My levels are fine. I've given blood twice, and they always do a ferritin check beforehand. My multi does contain iron, but my levels were normal when not taking a multi at that time. I only take half a multi daily now because I eat a variety of vegetables and fruit and feel I get most nutrients I need from whole foods. I use the multi as a backup. Don't load up on iron before having blood work.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Iron deficiency is only one cause of anemia. See your doctor for testing before supplementing. You can do more harm than good. It's not one of those things that your body will flush out what it doesn't need. You can become iron overloaded.
  • ROBOTFOOD
    ROBOTFOOD Posts: 5,527 Member
    Not I. With my large caloric intake and supplementation, it would be impossible.
  • CMNVA
    CMNVA Posts: 733 Member
    yirara wrote: »
    It all depends on your GP I guess. When my ferritin levels falls below 30ish I start feeling miserable, out of breath like being on a very high mountain, heavy legs when moving. Yet my red blood cells are fine. If I listened to my GP who said my iron levels were find I'd still feel miserable.


    This was the same for me. Ferritin got down to about 5 and I felt awful, but I was not anemic. Some people can compensate for the low iron stores and not go anemic. Most GPs don't even test for ferritin. I felt MUCH better with iron supplementation.
  • louann_jude
    louann_jude Posts: 307 Member
    I have had trouble with iron levels from time to time. My poor little sister is always critically low and has had to have a few transfusions since 2004-5. She has a daughter and my youngest two also have problems with low iron.

    I don't always take iron supplements but I do know the signs of when my iron is low and will take them when I feel that way. I get a feeling of fatigue, my heart skips beats, I crave ice like its a food group on it's own. My mouth waters just thinking of it.

    I also started getting horrible leg cramps a few months ago. It was so bad my legs would jump at night and I couldn't sleep more than a few hours at a time. I went to my dr who did a full work up because he suspected my magnesium was low. Turns out it was my vitamin D that was low. When I remember to take it it does help. I also crave milk when it's low and I HATE milk.

    That is why I suggest to everyone that will listen to me please go get blood work done. You may be able to have a simple fix to symptoms you are having. If not at least it's a starting point. And an open dialog with your dr.

  • courtneyfabulous
    courtneyfabulous Posts: 1,863 Member
    I was severely iron deficient at one point- my hemoglobin was all the way down to a 6 when 12 is considered anemic and 15 or more is normal! if your hemoglobin levels are low you should probably see your doctor and see if they recommend an iron supplement- it's often difficult to replenish low iron stores with food alone, nearly impossible actually if they are very low.

    I took "gentle iron" when I was supplementing- it never bothered my digestion as I hear other iron supplements can.

    You also need to fix the problem if something is actively depleting your iron. In my case I had severely heavy periods and heavy spotting between periods due to many large fibroids and a condition called adenomyosis. I had to get surgery to fix the problem and supplement with iron for a while after. But I'm SO glad I did- I feel great now and iron levels & hemoglobin back to normal!!
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    I have crohn's and when flaring bad gi bleeding and malabsorption. My serum iron was undetectable for a year and my hemoglobin was 6.2 (while getting iron infusions!) I had tons of iron infusions and blood transfusions but it didn't go up until I stopped flaring. My hemoglobin sits at 10.5 now which is a huge improvement!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited October 2016
    it's certainly possible for people to have low iron, but i agree that blood testing and having solid proof should be done before we start trying to intentionally raise iron levels.

    I wrote an entire huge *kitten* blog post on this topic because many many people i know (especially women) have iron-deficient anemia, suffer low iron during their periods, etc. Essentially, to recap without going into all the details...

    "If you have low iron and wish to increase your iron levels it may be advisable to:
    • Take Iron alone about 2 hours before/after eating a meal
    • Eat more sources of Heme-Iron (animal sourced)
    • Avoid consuming iron with iron inhibitors
    • Take your iron with an iron boosting substance
    • Taking an iron supplement when needed, try a gentler source of iron such as Spatone
    • See your physician for more information about RDA for your specific needs"

    Of course, i went into much further detail about which foods you shouldn't consume it with, how most sources of non-heme iron are bound with iron inhibitors (namely spinach, which always gets suggested for some reason), and much much more. But you get the gist.

    Determine the problem with your doctor
    See how much you need
    AND THEN you can try and raise levels through foods or suplements
  • kimny72
    kimny72 Posts: 16,011 Member
    edited October 2016
    Just because your iron levels are occasionally too low to donate blood doesn't mean you have an unhealthy iron level that needs to be supplemented. It just means your iron level is too low to donate blood. Your iron level can be in the normal range, but still too low to donate.

    And also as someone else mentioned, those deficiency numbers are worldwide, meaning they include areas of the world struggling with famine, food shortages, and areas where women don't necessarily have access to a balanced diet. I couldn't Google anything definitive quickly, but it looks like in the US it is more like 10-15% of women, not 70%.

    For my n=1, I am a petite female who eats a pretty standard diet and doesn't take a multi, and I have been donating blood and platelets for about 10 years. I was twice told by the mobile donation van that my iron was too low, but otherwise it has been fine and my regular donation center actually questioned the results the mobile van came up with as they were so outside my norm.

    If you are concerned about your iron level, consult your doctor before you do anything, as iron supplementation can be tricky and not something to do if you don't really need to!
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    edited October 2016

    kimny72 wrote: »
    Just because your iron levels are occasionally too low to donate blood doesn't mean you have an unhealthy iron level that needs to be supplemented. It just means your iron level is too low to donate blood. Your iron level can be in the normal range, but still too low to donate.

    And also as someone else mentioned, those deficiency numbers are worldwide, meaning they include areas of the world struggling with famine, food shortages, and areas where women don't necessarily have access to a balanced diet. I couldn't Google anything definitive quickly, but it looks like in the US it is more like 10-15% of women, not 70%.

    For my n=1, I am a petite female who eats a pretty standard diet and doesn't take a multi, and I have been donating blood and platelets for about 10 years. I was twice told by the mobile donation van that my iron was too low, but otherwise it has been fine and my regular donation center actually questioned the results the mobile van came up with as they were so outside my norm.

    Yes, this.

    Iron deficiency is the most common nutritional deficiency in the world. But there are many places in the world where their only sources of iron are poorly absorbed (think grains, vegetables, etc.)
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Just because your iron levels are occasionally too low to donate blood doesn't mean you have an unhealthy iron level that needs to be supplemented. It just means your iron level is too low to donate blood. Your iron level can be in the normal range, but still too low to donate.

    To me, supplementation (especially when I do not normally take a multi) just seems like the easiest option. Compared to modifying (which, to be honest, I think of as "overhauling" my diet). I wonder if there's some smaller level, like half a pill that'll raise the iron level but also not hurt my stomach
  • rainbowbow
    rainbowbow Posts: 7,490 Member
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Just because your iron levels are occasionally too low to donate blood doesn't mean you have an unhealthy iron level that needs to be supplemented. It just means your iron level is too low to donate blood. Your iron level can be in the normal range, but still too low to donate.

    To me, supplementation (especially when I do not normally take a multi) just seems like the easiest option. Compared to modifying (which, to be honest, I think of as "overhauling" my diet). I wonder if there's some smaller level, like half a pill that'll raise the iron level but also not hurt my stomach

    This is why I take spatone which is an iron enriched water that is highly absorbed. It's only like 30% RDA but it's improved my levels tremendously and it's the only iron supplement I can take that doesn't majorly jack up my stomach or stain my teeth black.
  • MelodyandBarbells
    MelodyandBarbells Posts: 7,724 Member
    rainbowbow wrote: »
    JaneiR36 wrote: »
    kimny72 wrote: »
    Just because your iron levels are occasionally too low to donate blood doesn't mean you have an unhealthy iron level that needs to be supplemented. It just means your iron level is too low to donate blood. Your iron level can be in the normal range, but still too low to donate.

    To me, supplementation (especially when I do not normally take a multi) just seems like the easiest option. Compared to modifying (which, to be honest, I think of as "overhauling" my diet). I wonder if there's some smaller level, like half a pill that'll raise the iron level but also not hurt my stomach

    This is why I take spatone which is an iron enriched water that is highly absorbed. It's only like 30% RDA but it's improved my levels tremendously and it's the only iron supplement I can take that doesn't majorly jack up my stomach or stain my teeth black.

    Thank you! To be honest, I'd prefer a less costly option, though. The generic multi was $3 for 60 pills and I'm still not done with the one bottle. In my case, since I test just below the allowable donation level, my other alternative is to just not give blood :|
  • littlechiaseed
    littlechiaseed Posts: 489 Member
    How do you all have low iron? Is it hereditary or something? I would think you would have to try and get low iron or just eat chips to have low iron
  • Chunkahlunkah
    Chunkahlunkah Posts: 373 Member
    edited October 2016
    For those seeking an iron supplement that's easy on the stomach, I rec Ferrous Gluconate. I bought "Nature's Blend" brand from Amazon.

    And yes, gotta reiterate that people should only supplement after getting their ferritin tested, even if they know their hemoglobin is low. (Blood donation centers test your hemoglobin, not ferritin.) Low hemoglobin can have other causes besides iron/ferritin deficiency.

    Hemoglobin is not a measurement of your iron. Ferritin is.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,610 Member
    littlechiaseed wrote: »
    How do you all have low iron? Is it hereditary or something? I would think you would have to try and get low iron or just eat chips to have low iron

    If you're a woman with a period, you can have low iron levels.

    That would be why a greater percentage of women experience low iron levels than men.
  • singingflutelady
    singingflutelady Posts: 8,736 Member
    littlechiaseed wrote: »
    How do you all have low iron? Is it hereditary or something? I would think you would have to try and get low iron or just eat chips to have low iron

    I had gi bleeding and malabsorption
  • DietVanillaCoke
    DietVanillaCoke Posts: 259 Member
    I started donating blood as soon as I found out I'm O neg. 18 months in I was anemic and 1 year, 4 iron infusions later I'm still sadly anemic.
    Chunkahlunkah wrote: »
    For those seeking an iron supplement that's easy on the stomach, I rec Ferrous Gluconate. I bought "Nature's Blend" brand from Amazon.

    And yes, gotta reiterate that people should only supplement after getting their ferritin tested, even if they know their hemoglobin is low. (Blood donation centers test your hemoglobin, not ferritin.) Low hemoglobin can have other causes besides iron/ferritin deficiency.

    Hemoglobin is not a measurement of your iron. Ferritin is.

    Thank you for that! I've had issues with all the supplements I've tried so I've always gone off them, it's been a roller coaster but I'll give these a try. =)

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