Nutrition is the food you eat and how your body uses it.
You need food to get energy for work and play, to move, to breathe -- just to stay alive. Food also provides a variety of nutrients that help build and repair tissues so your body will function well.
Iron is one of the body's most important elements. It is needed in small by vital amounts. Iron combines with protein to make hemoglobin, the red substance in the blood that carries oxygen from the lungs to body cells and removes carbon dioxide from those cells.
Iron also helps the cells obtain energy from food. A deficiency in iron can cause listlessness, fatigue, shortness of breath, rapid heart rate with minimal exertion, grouchiness, and depression.
Good nutrition is important in everyone's life - especially to a blood donor -- and iron is a major ingredient to good nutrition.
At the blood collection site, your blood will be checked to determine if you have enough iron in your blood to make a donation.
The Food and Nutrition Board recommends a daily intake of 10 mg of iron for men and older women. An intake of 18 mg per day is recommended for women during child-bearing years.
Ways to help maintain a healthy iron level in your blood:
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Eat iron-rich food. Red meats are the best source of iron -- liver in particular. Oysters and clams are also rich in iron. The best non-meat sources of iron are soybeans, dried beans, peas and lentils. Whole grain breads and cereals, as well as dried fruits, are good iron sources.
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Cook in cast iron to increase the amount of iron in food. As soups and stews simmer, they pick up iron from the cookware. Spaghetti sauce cooked in an iron pot has six times more iron than sauce cooked in a glass dish.
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Combine foods rich in vitamin C and iron to increase the amount of iron absorbed by the body. Good sources of vitamin C are citrus fruits/juices, kiwis, strawberries, cantaloupe, broccoli, tomatoes, peppers, potatoes and cabbage.
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Combine iron-rich meats with iron-rich vegetables. This improves the body's ability to absorb iron - for example, ham with bean soup, chili with beans, or beef with vegetable stew.
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Avoid drinking coffee and tea around meal time. Coffee and tea contain a class of compounds called polyphenols that interfere with iron absorption. Regular, decaffeinated and even some herbal teas contain these compounds. Avoid drinking tea or coffee one hour before and after eating.
Bleeding is the number one reason for low iron or anemia in adults. Iron loss may result from peptic ulcer, hiatal hernia, diverticulosis, cancer, menstrual period, etc. Also, pounding of the feet from running or walking and excessive sweating cause iron loss.
Red Cross iron level requiremnets make sure you can spare a pint of blood. the requirements also mean that each patient receives an iron-rich transfusion.
Your iron changes constantly depending on your food intake and your physical activity level. Not passing this test does not mean you are unhealthy. Modifying your eating habits to include iron-rich foods should enable you to donate in a few weeks.
When people like you are conscious of eating iron-rich foods, it is easier to maintain an adequate blood supply for all patients in our region. Eat healthy and share your good health by donating blood.
For information about donation opportunities, please call 1-800-GIVE LIFE.
Questions or comments? Email tacarcnc@trianglearc.org