

Iron deficiency

Blog entry posted by SickOfSickness, Jun 29, 2012.

I'm starting 18 mg iron per day. Surely it will improve my energy if I am low in iron? It's unbelievable to me that my old blood tests showed normal iron levels. 2 months ago I reduced the amount of red meat I eat, and I reduced it 4 months before that. So I finally looked into iron RDA and food sources. I am shocked because I eat almost none of the foods I saw listed. Just chocolate, broccoli, and some meat. Not enough of any of them to add up. I don't see how I could have been getting even half the RDA on average.
  1. SickOfSickness
    Lotus, I don't know. I hope you can find those answers. I didn't have any low values for blood tests related to iron. I am just looking at RDA and that my diet doesn't give me enough. RDA is also rather low values, so I don't think it hurts to go a little higher in total.
  2. Lotus97
    I haven't had my iron tested yet, but my RBC, HGB, and HCT were low. Do I need to get my ferritin and/or transferrin tested before I start supplementing?

    I'm not 100% sure, but I thought it was only Ascorbic Acid and not any kind of vitamin C that enhanced iron absorption.
  3. SickOfSickness
    Thanks, that is interesting. I think I had ferritin tested and maybe something else. I am not sure. Yes I think 18 mg should be good, along with 3-5 mg from my diet.
  4. LilacGardenia
    What did they test to determine this? Testing stored iron (ferritin) can show different results than transferrin saturation (how much is in your blood.) There is also a difference in being iron deficient and anemic. Anemia happens after your RBC count drops below a healthy level. This means it may take awhile to become anemic (even months.)

    Also, your body can compensate for awhile before you become full on anemic. The spleen plays some role in this which is why some people get spleen tenderness. One of my lab instructors studies it and was explaining it one day. Sorry for the lack of depth in explanation--it's been awhile since I've thought about that.

    18 mg is the recommended amount for women of childbearing age. I'm not sure of your age, but if you are in that group, taking supplements can help make up for the difference you don't manage through diet (18 mg can be difficult.) Vitamin C increases absorption of iron--I typically have juice, fruit, or a baked potato with my iron to increase the amount I absorb.

    I hope you have a nice day and get better soon. <3
  5. Xandoff
    I have been anemic for 9 years. I take vitron -C and even supplement that with more Vitamin C. I am also Male.
  6. taniaaust1
    iron is stored in the body so maybe you had good stores from previous times?.. I thou dont know how much the body can store. (with ME/CFS thou many of us have issues with our storage of iron.. hence why even if our diets are okay we can at times get low iron).

    Its certainly something you need to be paying attention too.