Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
org
Rev: 08/09/13
Iron Nutrition for B lood Donors
Beyond proper nutrition as important in maintaining your body’s normal
functions and overall general health, adequate iron intake and balance
is important in maintaining your body’s normal function of manufacturing
blood cells. At the Blood Center, a fingerstick blood count determination
(sometimes called iron level) is used as a screening test to qualify you for
blood donation. A minimum acceptable result in this test is set in order
to avoid temporarily lowering your blood count through blood donation to
below normal levels. If your blood count was below this minimum
acceptable level for blood donors today, you may wish to consider
increased dietary iron intake in order to stimulate increased blood cell
production in anticipation of future blood donations. The following
information about iron nutrition will help you as you plan to increase your
iron intake through the foods you eat. (Note; consultation with your
personal physician is recommended prior to beginning a course of iron
supplementation beyond dietary intake.)
1.) All types of red meat, fish and poultry are excellent dietary sources of
iron, since iron from these sources is most easily absorbed by your
body.
2.) Many vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans and grains are also good dietary
sources of iron, but iron from plant sources such as these is not
absorbed efficiently by your body. Vitamin C enhances iron
absorption from such plant sources, so eating vitamin C- containing
foods (grapefruit, oranges, tomatoes, broccoli, and strawberries) in
combination with iron-rich vegetables, fruits, nuts, etc. is
recommended.
3.) Caffeinated beverages (coffee, tea, soda) taken with meals can act
as iron blockers, as might excess consumption of high fiber foods or
bran supplements.