Advice on raising hemoglobin levels?

[Lady Henevere]

Hi, all. I need some help. DD, 13, had a blood test for something unrelated and we discovered her hemoglobin levels are low (10.7). She's a vegetarian but eats lots of whole foods, eggs, cheese, milk, etc., most of it organic. She rarely eats junk food and never drinks soda. We have started supplementing iron with a high-quality liquid iron supplement, and we're making some additional dietary changes. The doctor we saw thought the low level could be due in part to DD's heavy periods and suggested we consider birth control pills. (I said no thanks.) We're following up with her pediatrician.

Does anyone have suggestions on how to increase blood hemoglobin? I'm wondering about ways to get more iron in the diet (cooking in cast iron, vitamin C to help absorption, etc.). (DD adamantly refuses to eat meat, so that's out unless things get dire.) Also, I'm wondering about ways to lighten periods naturally, including herbs, diet, natural feminine products (I hear they lighten flow), etc.

Thanks in advance for any suggestions.

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Part of this will be easy. First thing is to get her gluten free asap. 100%. Gluten blocks iron absorption.
Find a liquid iron supp to take, rather then a pill. Better absorption all around.
Have her checked again about 4 weeks after being strictly gluten free.

The heavy periods are caused directly by the low levels, and cannot and will not get better unless she gets some animal derived iron in her. BC is a bad idea as it cannot fix anything.

Has your daughter done research on properly raised meat? Or is she only looking at awful CAFO stuff?
She needs to understand that her body is telling her something very urgent. An ethical diet cannot help her body thrive and grow the way it needs to.
She needs to understand that if she wants to grow up and have as little trouble as possible fertility wise, she needs to make some drastic changes right now.
Her endocrine system is suffering and it will, not might, suffer permanent damage if she does not provide nutrient dense nourishment for it asap.

When she is done maturing, and still desires to eat meat free, then she can go about it carefully. At this point, she is just getting started growing up, and has no idea what she should be feeling like. What is good/normal versus not.

 

[Wifezilla]

Did they test her B vitamin levels? B12 deficiency is very common among vegetarians.

Ditching the gluten is also a good idea. And also check her over all carb intake level. It is VERY easy to end up a carbatarian instead of a vegetarian.

What is she drinking? Sodas? Energy drinks? Those will also interfere with normal hormone function and should be ditched.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Thanks, BB. (Did I ever tell you how much you changed my life by telling me to go gluten free a year ago? I'll have to get to that another time. In the meantime, Thank you!)

We are using a liquid supplement (Floradix). As for the animals, she doesn't care how well they are raised, she just doesn't think an animal should have to die to feed her.

I don't know if they checked her b12 levels, but since she eats eggs and dairy, I didn't think that was an issue? And she never drinks soda or energy drinks, just water, a little juice, and herb teas once in a while.

 

[lwheelr]

B-6 can also be low on a vegetarian diet, and deficiency contributes to heavy periods.

Low Folic Acid can do so also.

Herbs for lightening the flow:

Chamomile - stimulates cramping which constricts the blood vessels. 1 cup of tea every 6 hours or so.

Red Raspberry - not sure how it works, but it reduces cramping AND reduces blood flow. 1 cup of tea every 4 hours or so, more if needed. Capsules also work.

Sage - reduces blood flow. Tea or capsules either one works, but the tea tastes pretty gross.

These are all things I have tried for very heavy flow, and all of them made a measurable difference.

She should also NOT be using tampons, they will double the flow.

 

[Wytchy]

Black Strap Molasses is high in iron, almost as high as liver. I doesn't taste that great but when I was having iron issues (prior to going gluten free), I did a TBSP of molasses with an orange juice chaser. It's tolerable as long as you swallow the molasses quickly (or as quickly as you can given that it's molasses lol)
I also think that B12 would be important for her as well.

 

[Damummis]

When I was prego with DD#1 I had low hemoglobin levels. Midwife had me take liquid chlorophyll. It worked.

 

[lwheelr]

Wheatgrass juice, or finely blended wheatgrass in a shake will provide chlorophyll, and it does work to increase blood cell production.

 

[Lady Henevere]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely work on incorporating this stuff.

We saw DD's pediatrician today for a physical. To his credit, he was totally on board with trying to adjust diet, etc. and suggested waiting a couple of weeks before checking her hemoglobin levels again. (The last time they were checked was in February, but we only found out about them a couple of weeks ago.) I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, if anyone else has suggestions, I would appreciate hearing them!

P.S. Anyone had experience with decreased periods from using natural feminine products versus regular?

 

[Bubblingbrooks]

Thanks for all the suggestions! I will definitely work on incorporating this stuff.

We saw DD's pediatrician today for a physical. To his credit, he was totally on board with trying to adjust diet, etc. and suggested waiting a couple of weeks before checking her hemoglobin levels again. (The last time they were checked was in February, but we only found out about them a couple of weeks ago.) I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime, if anyone else has suggestions, I would appreciate hearing them!

P.S. Anyone had experience with decreased periods from using natural feminine products versus regular?

Yes, but what you are describing is a bit different
It is good to switch, but getting those iron levels up will make a bigger impact.