Diagnosis – anemia, you go home and what next. You can’t break your hands, but you should look at the menu very carefully and improve it in terms of vitamins and minerals that will make up for the lack of iron in your body. What does such a diagnosis mean to you, how to prevent anemia and what to do to cure it?
Anemia is anemia resulting from low levels of hemoglobin and red blood cells in the blood. This condition causes insufficient oxygenation of cells. There can be several causes of anemia, e.g. significant blood loss due to various types of bleeding. Mostly, however, poor absorption of iron by our body is caused by an incorrect diet, poor in the ingredients needed for this process. Before you were diagnosed you felt tired, your skin was pale, you had a headache, your fingernails were very weak and your hair started falling out, you were constantly cold. All of these symptoms are characteristic of anemia, but they do not always have to occur together and can vary in severity.
The most important thing in eliminating anemia is iron. It is contained in almost everything we eat, but its bioavailability is low. It is important to be aware that there are two types of iron: non-heme and heme. Non-heme iron is mainly found in vegetables and is very poorly absorbed. Heme iron contained in meat and animal products is much more valuable for humans because of its bioavailability. This is not optimistic news for vegetarians, because the iron from meat foods is absorbed at the level of 10 to 20%, while the iron from plant products is at the level of 1 to 5%. A vegetarian diet in the case of anemia is not forbidden, but it should be taken into account that the process of recovering from the disease may be much longer and the effects more difficult to achieve.
How should you enrich your daily diet to be able to forget about anemia and its accompanying symptoms?
The most important are: poultry, fish and meat. Foods rich in B vitamins are important, as well as vitamin C, which allows the absorption of iron supplied in food. Products such as meat, wholegrain cereals, and cheese contain vitamins B6 and B12. Also recommended is black brawn, beef and offal, especially kidneys, heart and liver. Folic acid, i.e. vitamin B9, which greatly facilitates digestion and is extremely beneficial for the body, is found in large amounts in green lettuce or green beans. Let’s eat anything green. In the case of anemia, parsley, chives, zucchini, legumes such as peas and beans are perfect. Beetroot or carrot juice is helpful. However, the most important thing in this menu must be vitamin C, because without it, even a large amount of iron supplied in food rich in this element will not be absorbed and we will not get the expected results. So let’s drink citrus juices, eat blueberries, red peppers or kiwi. Our diet must be balanced, so it should also include foods rich in all nutrients, vitamins and minerals. Proteins, carbohydrates and fats are important. The menu should therefore include whole grain bread or porridge. Empty calories in sweets should be avoided.
What to avoid while recovering from anemia. Coffee and tea consumption should be limited, as the caffeine and tannin contained in them reduce the absorption of iron. The same goes for eggs. If you can’t resist a cup of coffee, neutralize the effect of caffeine by adding cream.
Treating anemia through diet is not difficult, it only requires commitment and choosing the right ingredients when composing our meals.