I give blood every other month. (the damn Blood bank loves me. they call me every 6 weeks and ask, "is next Saturday at 10am ok?)
And I always just barely pass the iron test. Even before I was vegan I just barely passed the iron test. I've even failed it once or twice.
And I've checked with Cronometer - my iron intake is almost always over 100% of the RDA. My multi contains 50%. and I do eat my beans and my spinach. Just my soymilk contributes another 12%.
I've talked to my doctor and also did some research and the three main things seem to be this.
1. Some people just absorb iron less efficiently. (age and health are factors)
2. plant sources of iron are less absorbable than animal sources.
3. Some foods help the absorption of iron and some inhibit it. And it seems I (and most vegans) eat a lot of the foods that inhibit the absorption of iron).
For a little while, I took a multi with 100% of the RDA of iron. My stools turned black and became uncomfortably hard. Like pooping bricks. Iron is toxic in high levels but it's not normally dangerous because we just excrete it thru our poop.
I'm not sure what that means as far as my body goes. My doctor just said to take a different multi. 66% seems to be my upper limit.
Iron is better absorbed with Vitamin C. So if you take a multi-take it with a glass or OJ. Also, coffee and soy milk inhibit the absorption of iron. so don't take your supplement with them. And calcium inhibits iron absorption (as does antacids that contain calcium). so don't take your multi and a calcium supplement together. Some people just find it better to take their multi at dinner. or before bed.
I don't normally buy or eat dried fruit. but when I get the call from the blood bank I stop and buy some dried apricots and finish the bag during the week before the appointment. Checking the bag of apricots - it really shouldn't make a difference. but it seems to help - so I continue to do it. Like the baseball player who won't change his socks. (oh, maybe its the Vitamin C in the apricots)
(Vegan) Foods that have a lot of iron are
- Beans and lentils
- Tofu
- Baked potatoes
- Cashews
- Dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach
- Fortified breakfast cereals
- Whole-grain and enriched breads-
-
https://www.eatright.org/health/wellness/preventing-illness/iron-deficiency
I don't know why it doesn't say apricots. Apricots are better (for iron) than cashews.
Oh! and cooking in cast iron.
This article explains what foods inhibit iron absorption.
http://www.irondisorders.org/diet/