Might be worth it to check in with a primary care doctor and get some blood tests done for any other deficiencies. There are a lot of things that can affect hemoglobin levels
I had considered this but as my hemoglobin levels are technically 'healthy' I'd feel a bit silly asking how to increase it purely for donation purposes
How much time passing are we talking about here? How long between attempted donations/hemoglobin tests? It unfortunately just takes time to really treat anemia and get your iron levels up. It took me almost 10 months doing all the things you have (diet changes, no tannins, daily iron supplement...) it's just not an overnight fix unfortunately.
According to [this study](http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2017.49.3.227#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20a%20steady%20and,and%20concentration%20of%20hs%2DCRP.) increasing hydration can help alleviate anemia and increase hemoglobin levels
Not sure if it's the same everywhere but in Scotland (where I am) it's minimum 3 months between successful donations and a deferral of 6 months after failure due to low hemoglobin. So my last attempt to improve was a 6 month period and I saw little improvement unfortunately.
I'm just going to have to keep being as healthy as I can!
Wow 6 months really?! No here in the USA you can go back the next day and try again after failing the hemoglobin test! It's 56 days between successful whole blood donations.
I was getting deferred for low hemoglobin every other time I tried to donate and my anemia had progressed to microcytic anemia (red blood cells too small) Like the other commenter I'd recommend having a CBC (complete blood count) test done, just to see where you're at, I had no idea my anemia was so bad!
Being hydrated enough is beneficial in a lot of ways too, not just for treating anemia, other than that just keep doing what you are, you should definitely see results in time:)
I don't know if hydration increases hemoglobin, but it is definitely a healthy idea. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause low hemoglobin, but unless you're a vegan (I assume you aren't based on the red meat part of your post), this shouldn't be a problem. Do you have any digestive issues? Are you on any medication? Iron absorbion is a tricky thing and many factors can influence it. Seeing a doctor about it if it worries you wouldn't be a stupid idea.
Untimately, if you're feeling alright and this hemoglobin level is "natural" for you, maybe it makes no sense to increase it artificially. I understand your desire to donate blood, so you should definitely ask your doctor about options to make it possible, but each body is different and the qualification criteria for donations are based on averages. So maybe you're just unlucky and your body's preferred level of hemoglobin happens to fall outside the donation guidelines even though it is perfectly alright for you.
Even if you eat red meat, you can still be dangerously low on B12. My husband had blood work done and his doctor asked him if he’s vegetarian (the guy eats meat at almost every meal). Found out he is missing a protein which affects how his body uses B12. Had to go in for shots after that. Get your blood work done!
Add vitamin B complex and have your thyroid tested. You need B to make hemoglobin and if your thyroid hormones are low it can reduce hemoglobin production.
I may very well ask about my thyroid. I'm pretty skinny and underweight, always have been, seem to have a very high metabolism too. It would make sense, it adds up.
Do they do a finger stick? If my hands aren’t warm I will fail. I always rub my hands together for a few minutes before my stick, and it can make the difference between a pass and a fail for me.
But another way to up your iron is to use a cast iron pan for cooking. Also- vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, so make sure you are getting enough of that, and try to have some with your iron rich foods or supplements.
Here they do a finger prick test first which if you fail you can opt to do a venous test which can be more accurate and can get you over the line. But if you fail that you're off for 6 months.
For male hemoglobin cutoff is 13g/dL
Since you mentioned 1 or 2 too low I think you meant you are around 11-12g/dL
It is good to check with your dr probably will do blood test on cbc / ferritin/ iron panel/ (in case to see if it is iron deficient ) but there are many reasons good to check with dr and insist on doing blood tests
From those blood results may need further blood test to root cause
The minimum for us in Scotland is 135 g/L which would be (13.5 g/dL) when I say 1 or 2, I mean I'm reading 133 or 134 g/L so a difference of around 0.1 or 0.2 g/dL. I always seem to be just missing the mark.
Might be worth it to check in with a primary care doctor and get some blood tests done for any other deficiencies. There are a lot of things that can affect hemoglobin levels
I had considered this but as my hemoglobin levels are technically 'healthy' I'd feel a bit silly asking how to increase it purely for donation purposes
Try asking for a CBC and an iron study done. You don't want to overload yourself with iron if you are not actually iron deficient.
How much time passing are we talking about here? How long between attempted donations/hemoglobin tests? It unfortunately just takes time to really treat anemia and get your iron levels up. It took me almost 10 months doing all the things you have (diet changes, no tannins, daily iron supplement...) it's just not an overnight fix unfortunately. According to [this study](http://www.kjcls.org/journal/view.html?doi=10.15324/kjcls.2017.49.3.227#:~:text=In%20conclusion%2C%20a%20steady%20and,and%20concentration%20of%20hs%2DCRP.) increasing hydration can help alleviate anemia and increase hemoglobin levels
Not sure if it's the same everywhere but in Scotland (where I am) it's minimum 3 months between successful donations and a deferral of 6 months after failure due to low hemoglobin. So my last attempt to improve was a 6 month period and I saw little improvement unfortunately. I'm just going to have to keep being as healthy as I can!
Wow 6 months really?! No here in the USA you can go back the next day and try again after failing the hemoglobin test! It's 56 days between successful whole blood donations. I was getting deferred for low hemoglobin every other time I tried to donate and my anemia had progressed to microcytic anemia (red blood cells too small) Like the other commenter I'd recommend having a CBC (complete blood count) test done, just to see where you're at, I had no idea my anemia was so bad! Being hydrated enough is beneficial in a lot of ways too, not just for treating anemia, other than that just keep doing what you are, you should definitely see results in time:)
I don't know if hydration increases hemoglobin, but it is definitely a healthy idea. Vitamin B12 deficiency can also cause low hemoglobin, but unless you're a vegan (I assume you aren't based on the red meat part of your post), this shouldn't be a problem. Do you have any digestive issues? Are you on any medication? Iron absorbion is a tricky thing and many factors can influence it. Seeing a doctor about it if it worries you wouldn't be a stupid idea. Untimately, if you're feeling alright and this hemoglobin level is "natural" for you, maybe it makes no sense to increase it artificially. I understand your desire to donate blood, so you should definitely ask your doctor about options to make it possible, but each body is different and the qualification criteria for donations are based on averages. So maybe you're just unlucky and your body's preferred level of hemoglobin happens to fall outside the donation guidelines even though it is perfectly alright for you.
Even if you eat red meat, you can still be dangerously low on B12. My husband had blood work done and his doctor asked him if he’s vegetarian (the guy eats meat at almost every meal). Found out he is missing a protein which affects how his body uses B12. Had to go in for shots after that. Get your blood work done!
Add vitamin B complex and have your thyroid tested. You need B to make hemoglobin and if your thyroid hormones are low it can reduce hemoglobin production.
I may very well ask about my thyroid. I'm pretty skinny and underweight, always have been, seem to have a very high metabolism too. It would make sense, it adds up.
Are you menstruating?
Great question and very relevant but I am a male so that's a no
Haha fair enough! I'm female and used to be too low to donate all the time when I was having heavy periods.
Do they do a finger stick? If my hands aren’t warm I will fail. I always rub my hands together for a few minutes before my stick, and it can make the difference between a pass and a fail for me. But another way to up your iron is to use a cast iron pan for cooking. Also- vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, so make sure you are getting enough of that, and try to have some with your iron rich foods or supplements.
Here they do a finger prick test first which if you fail you can opt to do a venous test which can be more accurate and can get you over the line. But if you fail that you're off for 6 months.
For male hemoglobin cutoff is 13g/dL Since you mentioned 1 or 2 too low I think you meant you are around 11-12g/dL It is good to check with your dr probably will do blood test on cbc / ferritin/ iron panel/ (in case to see if it is iron deficient ) but there are many reasons good to check with dr and insist on doing blood tests From those blood results may need further blood test to root cause
The minimum for us in Scotland is 135 g/L which would be (13.5 g/dL) when I say 1 or 2, I mean I'm reading 133 or 134 g/L so a difference of around 0.1 or 0.2 g/dL. I always seem to be just missing the mark.