Help !! I've just found out I'm anaemic.

keb72
keb72 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
Two weeks ago I went for my regular blood donation only to be told that my haemoglobin levels were too low to donate. :sad: After a trip to the doctors who ordered a full blood count, I have also been told that I'm anaemic. WTF!!! I've never been anaemic before and have been donating regularly for about 15 years. :noway:

I eat a lot of chicken, veges and fruit but have dropped the amount of red meat to about once maybe twice a week. I have realised that I don't really like steak and there is only so much mince you can eat.

So I'm looking for ideas........How do you keep your iron levels up??

Replies

  • blueboxgeek
    blueboxgeek Posts: 574 Member
    Eat plenty of these:

    •dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale
    •iron-fortified cereals
    •wholegrains, such as brown rice
    •beans
    •nuts
    •meat
    •apricots
    •prunes
    •raisins


    And avoid these, they can make it harder for your body to absorb the iron:

    •tea and coffee
    •calcium, found in dairy products such as milk
    •antacids (medication to help relieve indigestion)
    •proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which affect the production of acid in your stomach
    •wholegrain cereals - although wholegrains are a good source of iron themselves, they contain phytic acid which can interfere with how your body absorbs iron from other foods and pills


    This is the info on the NHS uk site.

    Actually it doesn't say avoid them, just to bear it in mind.

    Good luck!
  • rachaelmariegee
    rachaelmariegee Posts: 7 Member
    I've been anemic for the majority of my life (eating meat twice a month). I take iron supplements. I'm finding I'm less pale, I have more energy, I'm healthier and have more of a glow. I'm feeling better. Highly recommend them. Unsure of your age, but bowel cancer is common in older people, espesh here in New Zealand - due to high levels of meat intake, mostly reds.
  • Bounce2
    Bounce2 Posts: 138 Member
    Eat plenty of these:

    •dark-green leafy vegetables, such as watercress and curly kale
    •iron-fortified cereals
    •wholegrains, such as brown rice
    •beans
    •nuts
    •meat
    •apricots
    •prunes
    •raisins


    And avoid these, they can make it harder for your body to absorb the iron:

    •tea and coffee
    •calcium, found in dairy products such as milk
    •antacids (medication to help relieve indigestion)
    •proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), which affect the production of acid in your stomach
    •wholegrain cereals - although wholegrains are a good source of iron themselves, they contain phytic acid which can interfere with how your body absorbs iron from other foods and pills

    This is good advice. I have had the same problem myself in the past with donating. This is a site I found extremely helpful;
    http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iron-HealthProfessional/
  • keb72
    keb72 Posts: 5 Member
    Doctor put me on Iron tablets last week. Told me to take them every second day to prevent negative side affects. Going for another few tests to rule out any bowel or stomach problems. No cameras yet though :smile:
  • brevislux
    brevislux Posts: 1,093 Member
    Some tips I got from my nutritionist for maximum mineral absorption, are not to eat or drink anything with caffeine before and after a meal, have at least a 1 hour gap before and after (coffee, chocolate, tea, green tea, caffeinated fizzy drinks etc.). Also, take something that has vitamin C with your meal: citrus fruit, kiwi, bell pepper, etc.
  • xfrlss22
    xfrlss22 Posts: 10 Member
    I've been on iron tablets for a few years, my doctor also advised not to drink green tea specifically directly before or after since it can prevent absorption, also make sure you're getting enough b12 as it also helps you absorb iron (:
  • CookieEmporium
    CookieEmporium Posts: 74 Member
    Doctor put me on Iron tablets last week. Told me to take them every second day to prevent negative side affects. Going for another few tests to rule out any bowel or stomach problems. No cameras yet though :smile:

    I have a genetic tendency toward severe anemia-- I find that the only way I can keep my levels up is to follow what my doctor said: don't eat dairy within an hour (before or after) of consuming food or pills with iron, and take the iron pill with vitamin C (either take it was a glass of OJ or take a vitamin C tablet with it). This system works pretty well for me. I take a 65mg iron pill every-other day.
  • adopp062715
    adopp062715 Posts: 93 Member
    I have never been formally diagnosed but I would say I'm slightly anemic. I have now started taking iron pills and feel so much better. I have energy and feel rested. It's a nice change. I just bought some vitamins at the store and take them. Also, my mom has told me this before, liver is supposed to be really good for women since it contains a lot of iron. I'm not sure how you feel about eating liver but I prefer to take the iron pills.
  • Hunnergomeow
    Hunnergomeow Posts: 231 Member
    I've been anemic for years - it's gotten better since my boyfriend and I got together (he eats red meat every day, I was a vegetarian for 12 years and started eating meat only about a year ago) - so I totally feel your pain. And iron pills are such a pain in the *kitten* :mad:

    There are some vegetarian options for getting iron like cooked soybeans, pumpkin/sesame/squash seeds, quinoa (yuck! lol), white beans/lima beans/ red kidney beans/ chickpeas/split peas, cooked spinach, tomato paste (4oz is 3.9mg), dried peaches/apricots, baked potato and lentils.

    Clams/mollusks/mussels/oysters, beef or chicken liver, beef, turkey, chicken, ham, veal, halibut/haddock/perch/salmon/tuna are also supposed to be great iron rich foods (as recommended to me by my doctor).

    Definitely eat iron-rich foods along with foods that contain vitamin C, as it was said earlier, vitamin C helps the body absorb the iron - sometimes if I'm really rushed for time I'll take a vitamin C pill. It's also been recommended to me to cook in iron pots because the acid in foods seems to pull some of the iron out of the cast-iron pots.
  • dekrm2
    dekrm2 Posts: 1 Member
    I found out I when trying to donate, too. Tried EVERYTHING but I kept flunking...only thing that worked for me - Flinstones Childrens Chewable vitamins w/Iron.

    thanks for the tip about the caffeine, too, I will avoid coffee with breakfast from now on :)
  • Fitnesstracker2234
    Fitnesstracker2234 Posts: 17
    I was anaemic for a while because I do not eat much meat and my doctor told me to take iron supplements. Ask your doctor about the dosage because each supplement has a different amount of elemental iron. Make sure you don't take it with dairy because dairy binds to the iron and prevents its absorption. Also take it with an orange or a vitamin C tablet because vitamin C helps iron absorption. I am not a doctor though so make sure to check with your doctor before starting a supplement!

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