Therefore, iron deficiency should be avoided in porphyria. Early iron deficiency occurs before there is anemia. Anemia means having a low blood count. Also an early iron deficiency can be detected by tests such as serum iron and iron-binding capacity, and serum ferritin. All alcoholic beverages should be avoided by porphyric patients.
Alcohol stimulates the heme biosynthetic pathway in the liver and can itself exacerbate porphyria.
Medical drugs books list alcohol as being contraindicated for porphyrics. Alcohol has other harmful effects and can lead to weight gain. Fiber intake should be about 40 grams per day. High dietary fiber intakes should be avoided in patients with upper gastrointestinal problems. Also the increasing of dietary fiber intake sometimes causes abdominal cramping, diarrhea and flatulence.