Think of it this way:

Hemoglobin is the method by which the body carries oxygen to all parts of the body....especially the brain.

Low hemoglobin, less oxygen to the brain.

If your hemoglobing is low and you donate blood, you will have even less oxygen to the brain until you replenish the red blood cells. Is that what you want?

It would be a good idea to try to change your diet around until you can get your hemoglobin up. Then you will be able to donate blood without effecting your general well being. Also think about what would happen if you needed surgery or had a bad accident.

You may not really be anemic at this time, but you are close enough to it that it wouldn't take much to get you there.

I think it is just wonderful that you have been able to donate in the past. Please try to get more iron in your diet so that you can continue this very worthwhile activity.
PB

"I've been a strict ovo-lacto vegetarian for about 16 years, so it's not surprising I'm a little on the low side. I know this isn't low enough to be considered anemia, and it certainly isn't causing any symptoms; but it's annoying to go to the trouble of going over there and then being turned away."

Improve your diet ... you are barely making ends meet on your iron intake if you are menopausal and still too low to donate.

"I've been a strict ovo-lacto vegetarian for about 16 years, so it's not surprising I'm a little on the low side."

Making hemoglobin takes basically iron and protein. Both can be in short supply on this kind of diet. Increase your protein intake and take low-dose iron supplements or start cooking in cast-iron cookware.

Hemoglobin and blood cells are continually being produced, but it takes a couple of weeks to boost your hemoglobin by a couple of tenths ... if someone is seriously anemic the usually rebound faster.

Hmm, I guess I can't blame it on a couple cups of tea if it takes a couple weeks to boost it a couple tenths. Guess I will have to start paying more attention to my diet. I hate that.

Anybody know of a site that tells you the iron content of various foods? Not the RDA, but how many mg are in a serving? (Although I think there are lists like that in my ragged old 'Joy of Cooking' if there's none on line...)

Thanks.

WW

FWIW...
I went back to try again in mid July and was high enough to donate - the first sample they took was 13.1. They said to try to eat a lot of iron rich foods for about a week before you go in to donate - they gave me a list and it included beans, fortified food (the frozen waffles I eat all the time are iron fortified), and green leafy vegetables among other things. I didn't really do anything except cut back some on the black tea drinking.

I'd still be interested in a website listing iron and other nutrients of food, if anybody has one.

Donating blood amounts to a free mini physical. They tell you your blood pressure, hemoglobin, temperature, and the place I go puts your cholesterol reading on the little receipt they send you after you donate. Another little incentive.

WW

When I needed to donate blood for myself twice in a month, pre surgery, I was told to eat red meat several times per week (probably not what you wanted to hear) and raisins. That the iron tablets, unless timed released and very low dose would probably make me feel sick, and I wouldn't feel hungry enough to eat an overall healthy diet (Puget Sound Blood Bank). At 5'3" and wearing heavy clothing to make the 110# cutoff weight, I managed the 2 units fine...on steak and raisins.

Here is a link that might be useful: A few iron rich foods

Thanks, that's a good chart. Looks like prune juice is the way to go-- in more ways than one (sorry, I couldn't resist.) I didn't realized dried fruits were so high in iron, wonder why that is.

WW