What is low hematocrit?
The hematocrit is the percent of a person's blood composed of oxygen-carrying red blood cells. The hematocrit must be at least 38 percent for a person to be able to give blood for another person. A donor's hematocrit level is checked prior to every donation — and if it is too low, the donor is temporarily deferred from donating blood. Low hematocrit — also called anemia — indicates that a person does not have a sufficient volume of red blood cells. The most common cause of mild anemia in healthy people is a low level of iron, which is essential for the production of red blood cells. Monthly blood loss in premenopausal women, imbalanced diet, and frequent blood donation can also contribute to low iron levels.

To support the iron and hematocrit levels in your body, increase your intake of high iron foods or supplements. Foods rich in iron include:

• Red meat
• Fish
• Poultry
• Liver
• Iron-fortified cereals
• Beans
• Raisins
• Prunes

Eating foods rich in vitamin C such as citrus fruits, broccoli and tomatoes helps your body absorb the iron that you eat. Also, multiple vitamin tablets often include iron.