Quick and Easy Diet Cures 4 Iron Deficiency: Discover Natural Treatment for Anemia and Blood Anemia
A number of diseases, conditions and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells. Haemolytic anaemia can lead to various health problems such as fatigue, pain, arrhythmias, an enlarged heart and heart failure. There are many types of haemolytic anaemias — some of which are inherited and others that are acquired.
The immediate cause of haemolytic anaemia is the early destruction of red blood cells. A number of diseases, conditions, and factors can cause the body to destroy its red blood cells. These causes can be inherited or acquired. Sometimes, the cause of haemolytic anaemia isn't known. The most common symptom of all types of anaemia is fatigue. A low red blood cell count can also cause shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, coldness in your hands or feet, pale skin, gums and nail beds, as well as chest pain.
Treatments for haemolytic anaemia include blood transfusions, medicines, plasmapheresis, surgery, blood and marrow stem cell transplants and lifestyle changes. People who have mild haemolytic anaemia may not need treatment, as long as the condition doesn't worsen. People with severe haemolytic anaemia usually need ongoing treatment.
Thalassaemias are inherited blood disorders which cause the body to make fewer healthy red blood cells and less haemoglobin an iron-rich protein in red blood cells. The two major types of thalassaemia are alpha- and beta thalassaemia. The most severe form of alpha thalassaemia is known as alpha thalassaemia major or hydrops fetalis, while the severe form of beta thalassaemia is known as thalassaemia major or Cooley's anaemia. Thalassaemias affect both males and females and occur most often in people of Italian, Greek, Middle Eastern, Asian, and African descent.
Severe forms are usually diagnosed in early childhood and are lifelong conditions. Haemoglobin in red blood cells has two kinds of protein chains: If your body doesn't make enough of these protein chains, red blood cells don't form properly and can't carry enough oxygen. Genes control how the body makes haemoglobin protein chains. When these genes are missing or altered, thalassaemias occur. Thalassaemias are inherited disorders — they are passed on from parents to their children through genes.
People who get abnormal haemoglobin genes from one parent but normal genes from the other are carriers. Carriers often have no signs of illness other than mild anaemia. However, they can pass the abnormal genes on to their children. Symptoms of thalassaemias are caused by a lack of oxygen in the blood stream.
This occurs because the body doesn't make enough healthy red blood cells and haemoglobin. The severity of symptoms depends on the severity of the disorder:. Treatment for thalassaemias depends on the type and severity of the disorder. People who are carriers or who have alpha or beta thalassaemia need little or no treatment. Three standard treatments are used to treat moderate and severe forms of thalassaemia, these include blood transfusions, iron chelation therapy, and folic acid supplements. Sickle cell anaemia is a serious disease in which the body makes sickle-shaped "C"-shaped red blood cells.
Normal red blood cells are disk-shaped and move easily through your blood vessels.
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Red blood cells contain the protein haemoglobin an iron-rich protein that gives blood its red colour and carries oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. The clumps of sickle cells block blood flow in the blood vessels that lead to the limbs and organs. Blocked blood vessels can cause pain, serious infections, and organ damage. In sickle cell anaemia, a lower-than-normal number of red blood cells occurs because sickle cells don't last very long.
Sickle cells usually die after about 10 to 20 days and the body can't reproduce red blood cells fast enough to replace the dying ones, which causes anaemia. Sickle cell anaemia is an inherited, lifelong disease. People who have the disease inherit two copies of the sickle cell gene — one from each parent. Sudden pain throughout the body is a common symptom of sickle cell anaemia.
This pain is called a "sickle cell crisis", and often affects the bones, lungs, abdomen, and joints. Sickle cell anaemia has no widely-available cure.
However, treatments can help relieve symptoms and treat complications. The goals of treating sickle cell anaemia are to relieve pain, prevent infections, eye damage and strokes, and control complications. Sickle cell anaemia is most common in people whose families descended from Africa, South or Central American, Caribbean islands, Mediterranean countries, India and Saudi Arabia. Pernicious anaemia is a condition in which the body can't make enough healthy red blood cells because it doesn't have enough vitamin B12 a nutrient found in certain foods.
People who have pernicious anaemia can't absorb enough vitamin B12 due to a lack of intrinsic factor a protein made in the stomach. However, other conditions and factors can also cause vitamin B12 deficiency.
Best Diet Plan for Anemia
Apart from the symptoms of anaemia fatigue, dizziness, etc. Pernicious anaemia is treated by replacing the missing vitamin B12 in the body. People who have this disease may need lifelong treatment. Fanconi anaemia, or FA, is a rare, inherited blood disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. FA is a type of aplastic anaemia that prevents your bone marrow from making enough new blood cells for your body to work normally.
A person with anemia may benefit from adding iron-rich foods to the diet. Also, certain foods can help the body to absorb iron, while others can block this process and make anemia worse. In this article, we explore the foods that can help or harm people with anemia. We also provide sample meal plans designed to boost iron levels, plus other dietary tips.
Bleeding in the stomach and intestines can also cause anemia. Or, it may result from:. People who are pregnant have an increased risk of developing iron-deficiency anemia, which occurs when iron levels are too low. In these cases, doctors usually advise people to take iron supplements. The recommended daily allowance RDA of iron depends on a person's age and sex.
A baby younger than 6 months old only requires 0. During pregnancy, a person should increase their daily iron intake to 27 mg. People with iron-deficiency anemia need a significant boost and require — mg of iron a day. Adding iron-rich foods to the diet can help to treat anemia. A doctor can advise about the kinds of foods to choose from and other ways to increase iron absorption. The best diet for a person with anemia includes plenty of foods rich in iron and other foods that help the body to absorb iron.
A person should also be aware of foods that can inhibit iron absorption. The plan below was developed to show what healthful meals for a person with anemia might include:. Strawberries with low-fat yogurt and a handful of pumpkin and sunflower seeds.
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Tea and coffee inhibit iron absorption, and people should not drink them with meals. Lamb chops with boiled potatoes, steamed broccoli, and curly kale. A stew that includes kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, tinned tomatoes, onions , red peppers, and garlic, topped with vegan or dairy-based cheese and a dollop of yogurt.
Many foods contain high levels of iron. A person may find it easy to combine them and make tasty, nutritious meals that help to boost the intake of iron. However, some dark, leafy greens also contain oxalates, which can inhibit iron absorption. Rather than relying solely on vegetables, a person should aim to get iron from a variety of sources. Also, it may be a good idea to choose iron-fortified cereals, bread products, orange juice, rice, and pasta. The best way to add iron to the diet is to eat more foods that are rich in iron.
However, the following strategies can maximize a person's iron intake:. If a person has tried changing their diet and their levels of iron remain low, they should speak with a doctor or dietician, who may recommend a supplement. Doctors often recommend choosing a supplement containing ferrous salts such as ferrous fumarate, ferrous gluconate, or ferrous sulfate. These formulations all contain anywhere from 15— mg of elemental iron in a tablet or oral solution. People with iron-deficiency anemia can benefit from adding iron to their diet.
The foods and strategies listed above can help a person to manage the condition. Eating certain dark, leafy greens, seafood, beans, nuts, and seeds can help a person to boost their iron intake. It may also be a good idea to use a cast-iron skillet, and cooking meals for shorter periods, when possible. Iron supplements can benefit people who do not receive enough iron from their diets.
It is essential to follow dosage instructions carefully.
An excess of iron can cause iron toxicity. This can be dangerous and, on rare occasions, fatal. Article last reviewed by Mon 2 July All references are available in the References tab. Calcium content of common foods. Diseases of iron metabolism. Does cooking with cast iron pots and pans add iron to our food?
Food prepared in iron cooking pots as an intervention for reducing iron deficiency anaemia in developing countries: A systematic review [Abstract]. Journal of Human Nutrition and Dietetics , 16 4 , — Iron and the body.
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Iron-deficiency anemia [Fact sheet]. Diagnosis and management of iron deficiency anemia in the 21st century [Abstract]. Therapeutic Advances in Gastroenterology , 4 3 , — Ferrous versus ferric oral iron formulations for the treatment of iron deficiency: