u/ArtisticCriticism646

hello, i recently got blood work done, my hemoglobin is normal, my ferritin is in the low end of normal, and my iron saturation was about 10%. my cholesterol level is 220. i used to follow a vegan diet and run a lot and my cholesterol was on the high end of normal, but my hemoglobin, iron sat, and ferritin were so low i got a blood transfusion.

my question is- how do i lower my cholesterol level if eating red meat and animal foods have more absorable heme iron? i feel like im trading one can of worms for another now. when i was vegan i ate a lot of beans/lentils/oats and spinach with lemon and that did not help my levels. i went to a hematoligst who ruled out the anemia due to diet not any other causes. i have also stopped running since.