Looking to spike the iron level in my blood

[Blackjack200]

I try to donate blood fairly regularaly, probably done it 20 times or so...

Currently I'm on a diet where I eat very little meat. There's some background in this thread if anyone's interested: http://forums.anandtech.com/me...id=38&threadid=2315371

But to sum it up, I'm basically eating beans, WW bread, protein shakes and bananas.

If I add a few ounces of meat to my diet a few days ahead of time, would that be enough? How can I add a decent amount of iron to my diet without adding too many calories?

 

[StageLeft]

You could get iron pills or suck on some rusted iron for a while 🙂

I have to of course point out that if your blood as it is now is not considered acceptable for donation reasons perhaps your diet needs to be modified accordingly, as it may not be healthy.

 

[conorvansmack]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
I have to of course point out that if your blood as it is now is not considered acceptable for donation reasons perhaps your diet needs to be modified accordingly, as it may not be healthy.

+1

Try raisins. My wife has low iron and was denied a few times. A day or so before donating, she eats some raisins and everything works out fine.

As far as pills (low calorie), look for something called SlowFe. It won't clog you up like normal iron pills.:frown:

 

[Blackjack200]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
You could get iron pills or suck on some rusted iron for a while 🙂

I have to of course point out that if your blood as it is now is not considered acceptable for donation reasons perhaps your diet needs to be modified accordingly, as it may not be healthy.

Originally posted by: conorvansmack
Try raisins. My wife has low iron and was denied a few times. A day or so before donating, she eats some raisins and everything works out fine.

As far as pills (low calorie), look for something called SlowFe. It won't clog you up like normal iron pills.:frown:

Thanks, I think that's a fair point about the test being an indicator of poor diet, but I have been denied for low iron before the diet and other healthy people I know have also been denied for low iron. I guess I just have the perception that they are a little too rigid in their iron requirements.

 

[TallBill]

Or perhaps the "healthy" people that you know are iron deficient as well.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

You could also use a cast-iron skillet to cook things in. You will get enough iron from that, oddly enough.

 

[Blackjack200]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
You could also use a cast-iron skillet to cook things in. You will get enough iron from that, oddly enough.

Really? Guess it makes sense. I should get a cast iron skillet anyway, my folks have one and I always liked it.

 

[SociallyChallenged]

Originally posted by: Blackjack200

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
You could also use a cast-iron skillet to cook things in. You will get enough iron from that, oddly enough.

Really? Guess it makes sense. I should get a cast iron skillet anyway, my folks have one and I always liked it.

Yep. That URL has a link of what levels research has found to be absorbed by certain foods (increased acidity = increased iron absorption).

 

[Howard]

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged

Originally posted by: Blackjack200

Originally posted by: SociallyChallenged
You could also use a cast-iron skillet to cook things in. You will get enough iron from that, oddly enough.

Really? Guess it makes sense. I should get a cast iron skillet anyway, my folks have one and I always liked it.

Yep. That URL has a link of what levels research has found to be absorbed by certain foods (increased acidity = increased iron absorption).

Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher involved in investigating the cause of many dreadful diseases. In 1968, he invented PYRO-ENERGEN, the first electrostatic therapy device for electromedicine that effectively eradicates viral diseases, cancer, and diseases of unknown cause.

Fuck that.

 

[Kipper]

A quick addendum - Vitamin C enhances iron absorption, whereas calcium seems to inhibit it.

IF you are iron-deficiency anemic, which is possible, you definitely won't be able to donate (or they will probably toss your blood). Beans can be a good source of iron but really pales in comparison to meat. Has your bloodwork come out normal (hemoglobin) in the past? The subjective "healthy" assessment isn't really a good gauge of iron status.

I should point out that red blood cell turnover is relatively slow, with their lifespan around 120 days. If you want to boost your hemoglobin you are going to have to consume more iron over an extended period of time for it to have any appreciable effect. A bit extra here and there is going to do nothing because only 1/120th of your RBCs are recycled every day.

 

[eits]

iron pills
red meat
vitamin b12
vitamin b9 (folic acid)
spinach

you should be fine if you try all of that

 

[Jeffg010]

http://www.pyroenergen.com/

WTF is this they sure clam a lot of crap on that page about killing Viruses with Electrostatic Therapy. IT cost 1100 to buy. I'd love to try this thing out but 1100 not going to happen.

 

[Titan]

Nails for breakfast. 😛

I have a friend who knows toxicology and the lethal does by ingestion for iron is about 1/3 of a nail. So don't do that.