LONGECITY

red cell count: 4,49 (range is 4,6-6,2)

hematocrit: 41,2% (range is 42%-52%)

All other parameters are within normal range

I take red meat twice per week on average (plus twice per week salmon and chicken the remaining days).

I exercise "formally" 4 times per week (2 weight training and 2 aerobic). Then, biking,hiking and soccer with the kids on weekends.

Looking back all my blood analysis I have always been in the low end of the spectrum, but never below.

Iron supplement ?

MCV and RDW could tell you if you had an iron deficiency anemia versus some other cause of low hematocrit.  Do you know your ferritin level?  I wouldn't supplement without some good evidence that you need to.

MCV and RDW could tell you if you had an iron deficiency anemia versus some other cause of low hematocrit.  Do you know your ferritin level?  I wouldn't supplement without some good evidence that you need to.

Good hint

 

MCV: 91,8 (range 80-96)

RDW: 11,5% (range 11%-18%)

Ferritin levels not tested (this was a basic pre-operative blood work; I am finally having eye surgery in a week)

Assuming your iron stores turn out to be low, a lack of iron in the diet is rarely the cause for iron deficiency in omnivores from developed countries.  You might be able to band-aid the issue with additional iron but I'd look for a root cause: SIBO, h. pylori, hypochlorhydria, occult bleeding in the gut are a few that come to mind.

Assuming your iron stores turn out to be low, a lack of iron in the diet is rarely the cause for iron deficiency in omnivores from developed countries.  You might be able to band-aid the issue with additional iron but I'd look for a root cause: SIBO, h. pylori, hypochlorhydria, occult bleeding in the gut are a few that come to mind.

This is interesting. I have always thought that I do have some kind of intestinal problem - bloating and intermittent constipation as the main symptoms. Will look into this further.

Any good reference to start ?

Thanks.

MCV and RDW could tell you if you had an iron deficiency anemia versus some other cause of low hematocrit.  Do you know your ferritin level?  I wouldn't supplement without some good evidence that you need to.

I just found ferritin levels on a blood work done in July 10th, 2014. It was within normal range (188, for a reference range of 34-336). In this blood work, my red cells and hematocrit were also just below normal range.

By the way, the anesthesiologist wasn´t concerned at all with these results. She just said that I just "don´t fit in the 95% population that define the blood work reference ranges"

I'd suggest Methy B12 and Liver pills. Weight lifters take Beef Liver Concentrate.  Ultra 40 by Beverly International available at http://www.bodybuilding.com/ is a quality supplement. 

Search folate + red blood cell production, and meat + red blood cell production

I recommend Folate, not folic acid.. Methyl Pro Folate maybe beneficial.. if you have a bad methyl gene.   

http://www.nlm.nih.g...icle/000354.htm

Folic acid works with vitamin B12 and vitamin C to help the body break down, use, and make new proteins. The vitamin helps form red blood cells. It also helps produce DNA, the building block of the human body, which carries genetic information.