When I had my blood tested last September, after a month of eating only veggies and meat and no supplements, my iron numbers were as follows:
FERRITIN, SERUM 103 IRON, SERUM 70 IRON BIND.CAP.(TIBC)308 UIBC 238 IRON SATURATION 23
They appear to be within the 'normal range' but, according to a speaker I heard last month, those ranges are not universal, they're determined by the lab based on the testing they've done. Since most people get their blood tested when they're sick, the numbers may be skewed towards the sick side, rather than the healthy side.
When I researched it, I found several references to Ferritin Serum indicating that the level should be between 20-80, and 25-75. Mine is 103 which I think is too high, and that's without any supplements!
I'm 55 and 3 years past menopause.
Does anyone here have knowledge on healthy iron levels for post-menopausal women?
All I could find were daily intake limits but I have no idea how much is in my food! I pretty much follow my SWAMI but I've just discovered that some of my favorite diamonds -- parsley, tarragon, cacao, and pumpkin seeds -- are high in iron.
My morning smoothie includes chia seed, my green powder includes beets, and I sometimes add 1/64 t. fenugreek, all iron powerhouses, I think. On my midday salad, I add 1 t. flax oil, 1 t. hempseed oil, 1 t. black sesame oil, and 1 t. pumpkinseed oil.
Do I need to eliminate all these treats?
I wish SWAMI had a way for us to input our lab results and/or mark which foods we eat the most, so it could alert us to what we need to change to improve our numbers.... |