low iron

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Poohbear_Princess
Poohbear_Princess Posts: 16
in Health and Weight Loss
I went to give blood the other day and they told me I just "made it". My iron was 12.9 and they can't take your blood if it's under 12.5. Is this something that I should be worrying about? I have been tired a little more than normal, and also noticed on my food tracking that I'm not getting the iron amount it shows that I should be (just by looking at a few days). Any suggestions, thoughts, etc????

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  • Anna800
    Anna800 Posts: 637 Member
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    I would start tracking iron in your diary. I read that our body doesn't absorb as much iron from spinach as you would think, it has to be combined with a food rich in vitamin c. Also not all vitamins are made equally and again you may not be absorbing all of the iron in a pill.
  • sarahmmac
    sarahmmac Posts: 1
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    I would suggest taking multivitamins everyday if you're not already doing so. Your iron levels aren't terrible but you don't want them getting any lower! At one point mine got as low as a 7.9 and i have never felt worse in my life.
  • Poohbear_Princess
    Poohbear_Princess Posts: 16
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    Thanks for your comments and suggestions. I normally take a multi-vitamin and a vitamin D daily, but got kinda lazy for a while. The last week or so I've been doing pretty good at taking them every day. So maybe that's just catching up with me and it's my time of the month, so together it's making it lower. Thanks again!
  • katieisgreat
    katieisgreat Posts: 4
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    I've had long term iron deficiency problems and one thing that has really helped my is eating 1 bowl (1/2 cup) of Cream of Wheat a day. It's high in iron and healthy, easy to make and you can add fruits to make it take less like wall paper paste!
  • Poohbear_Princess
    Poohbear_Princess Posts: 16
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    OHHH I forgot about Cream of Wheat. I normally have oatmeal in the mornings, but did find some individual packets at Target to try. I've added Turvia or Olivio Coconut (only a little bit, instead of butter), but no fruit. And I forgot that it was a good source of iron. Maybe I can switch off with the oatmeal. Thanks!
  • bcattoes
    bcattoes Posts: 17,299 Member
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    No, don't worry about it. I've been turned away a few times because I always run a little low but not enough to be anemic. Maybe mention it to your doctor on your next visit, unless s/he runs a blood panel, in which case they'll know your iron count.

    Eat beans, dark leafy greens, meat, oranges. A lady at the Red Cross told me to drink a big glass of orange juice the morning of the day I was going to donate and I've not been turned away once since I started doing that.

    Don't take an iron supplement unless directed to do so by your doctor. Too much iron can be dangerous.

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