If you give blood, platelets or plasma on a regular basis, you know the importance of keeping your iron count high. It has to be at least 38 in order to donate. If your iron count is lower than 38, you will be deferred for that day and have to return to the blood bank or plasma center at a later date. Fortunately, it's not that hard to get your iron count up to an acceptable level.
Step 1:
Add a B-complex vitamin to your daily eating plan. B-complex vitamins help your body metabolize foods, particularly meats, which contain iron and proteins.
Step 2:
Drink a glass of orange juice or eat fruit rich in vitamin C with your meals. Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron from foods.
Step 3:
Add iron-rich foods such as liver, clams, oysters, beef, spinach, broccoli, cooked dried beans and enriched cereals to your diet.
Step 4:
Use a cast iron frying pan to cook meat and eggs. The iron in the pan leaches into the food you eat, thereby naturally enriching all your foods with extra iron. Combined with the B-complex vitamins and vitamin C, it will increase your iron count.
References:
WebMD: Top Iron-Rich Foods - http://www.webmd.com/diet/iron-rich-foods
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