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Conditions and Diseases > Blood Disorders Forum > Low White Blood Count For a Healthy Vegetarian
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Q: Low White Blood Count For a Healthy Vegetarian
asked by: LWBC on October 6th, 2007
New User
My WBC has been low for many years. It is much lower this year - 2.63 th/mm3 on 8/27/07. My doctor asked me to do another test and it was 2.70 th/mm3 on 9/28/07. Last year, it was 3.80 in December, 2006.

I feel healthy and normal. I rarely get sick even in winter. I am not on any medication. I have been a vegetarian since 1996, but I am not a vegan. I still eat eggs, cheese and milk, but not too much. I normally have raw veggies for dinner, e.g. I blended organic beets, tomatoes, and spinach for my dinner tonight. I eat whole grains, cooked beans and stirred fried veggies for lunch. I had lightly cooked veggies and steel cut oats this morning. I rarely eat processed food.

I hiked regularly on weekend even in winter. I hiked more in summer, sometimes more than 10 miles per hike. I handle my stress well and sleep well.

Initially, I thought it might be vitamin B12, but B12 and MMA values are normal from the test on 9/28/07.

I hope you can give me your thoughts about this Low WBC concern besides telling me to see a Hematologist.

The other values of my CBC, DIF on 9/28/07 are:

RBC 3.80 mil/mm3, Hgb 12.7 g/dL, Hct 36.5 %, MCV 96 fL, MCH 33.5 pg, MCHC 34.9 %, RDW 12.7 %, Platelet Ct 286 bil/L, Polys-auto 1.45 th/mm3, Lymphs 0.97 th/mm3, Monos 0.19 th/mm3, Eosinophils 0.04 th/mm3, Basophils 0.01 th/mm3, Retic 35 th/mm3, Folate, Serum > 24.0 ng/mL, Vitamin B12 Srm 554 pg/mL (normal range is 211 to 911), Methylmal Ac Srm 110 nmol/L (normal range is 73 to 376).

Thanks in advance for your feedback.
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2pedale
replied on April 11th, 2009
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Wbc for vegetarians
I too was curious about this, since my mother-in-law and her sister which are both vegans ran 2.4.
So I e-mailed a Dr. that specializes in this area and I thought she gave a very good answer.
She said vegans do run low..they do recommend the wbc being at least 2.5 however. Since you aren't
filling your body with bacteria from diary and meat, there is less to fight off. The fewer wbc's that
you do have however are healthier and more efficient then the ones of a meat/diary eater.
Normal range blood work is based on the general population...which are meat eaters.
If the range was based on vegans, I wonder what the normal range would be? 2.0-4.0?
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Roadrunner49
replied on August 2nd, 2009
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2.4 White Blood Cell Count
THANK YOU! This Q & A just gave me much peace. At 49 I just had my first blood panel run and all was good but for the WBC, which showed 2.4. I had another draw on Friday and will hear back. I have been a vegetarian (not vegan) since 18 and always very athletic: dancer til 30, then raced bikes, run, hike, swim, etc. I have also always been very healthy, with a resting HR of 42ish and very low BP, per "normal" ranges. I'm rarely ill, even when the kids would all get a "bug". So this low WBC was upsetting. I'm on schedule for a hematology appt. Hopefully, I'm just "special". Wink
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alli5463
replied on October 27th, 2009
New User
I spoke to a Natural Hygiene doctor who said people who eat this way have lower WBC. He said in the mid 2's is normal. He said that the general population is fighting more "bad stuff" and have higher WBC. And because of this, healthier vegetarians are judged according to that standard. I think vegetarians have a healthier system, less infection and more efficient WBC's.
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