Blood count
Red blood cells (RBC) — optimal range for vegans & vegetarians
Count of red blood cells per volume.
Optimal range
4.2–5.9 ×10¹²/L
How a value is read
Women
| Deficient | < 3.8 ×10¹²/L |
| Below optimal | 3.8 – 4 ×10¹²/L |
| Optimal | 4 – 5.2 ×10¹²/L |
| Above optimal | 5.2 – 5.5 ×10¹²/L |
| Markedly high | > 5.5 ×10¹²/L |
Men
| Deficient | < 4.3 ×10¹²/L |
| Below optimal | 4.3 – 4.5 ×10¹²/L |
| Optimal | 4.5 – 5.9 ×10¹²/L |
| Above optimal | 5.9 – 6.2 ×10¹²/L |
| Markedly high | > 6.2 ×10¹²/L |
Bands are given in the marker's canonical unit; values in other units are converted automatically.
Why it matters on a plant-based diet
Red-cell count. Low with anemia; MCV points to the cause (iron vs B12/folate).
A single marker decides nothing
Deficiencies mask one another: high folate hides low B12, inflammation inflates ferritin, low zinc mimics iron deficiency. VEGALYSIS reads the whole picture and explains the links.
Analyse my labsUnits
- ×10¹²/L
- ×10⁶/µL× 1 → 10^12/L
VEGALYSIS accepts any of these units and converts the value to the canonical one.
Names seen on lab reports
rbc · red blood cells · эритроциты · эр
Sources
Related markers
Educational material; not a substitute for a clinician's advice.