Shondel, before adding an iron supplment to your diet you should have your serum ferritin levels checked. Simply checking the level of iron in your blood (the standard test) will not give you an accurate reading. Iron is stored in the cells and the body lets out what it needs to function. Blood serum levels drop off when you're fighting an infection or have been ill but rise afterward. Didnt you have a nasty bout not that long ago with a severe allergic reaction to shellfish?

Protein power lifeplan suggest that before adding any iron to your diet you have your ferritin levels checked. Ferritin is the "wrapper" the body uses to enclose stored iron. The range in which we aim to have our ferritin is no higher than 50 (equivalent to 500 mg) and no lower than 10 (equivalent to 100 mg of serum ferritin). Most of us have too much iron stored in our bodies and not the opposite. The only way to get rid of excess iron is to donate blood (pre menopausal women do lose some every month with their periods).

The Eades also caution taking a Vitamin C supplement and drinking wine if you have a high serum ferritin level as both of these encourage the absorption of iron.

HTH,
Nat