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Anaemia is a term used in medical terminology to refer to a condition where a person has low levels of red blood cells in his/her body. The red blood cells' job is to carry oxygen in the human body. When the number of red blood cells becomes too low in an individual's body, he or she will not get adequate oxygen in vital organs like the brain and lungs.
If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with anaemia recently, make sure that the person maintains a proper diet for anaemia treatment. A good diet, exercise and medication will help keep the deficiency under control.
According to medical experts, many individuals, especially women, children and patients with long-term diseases, sometimes also suffer from anaemia. To combat the side effects of this deficiency, one should incorporate the following food items into his/her daily diet:
All meat and poultry items are rich in iron, especially red meat. Therefore, if an anaemic individual eats red meats like lamb, chicken, goat meat, or duck meat combined with citrus fruits and leafy greens, the individual's body will be able to absorb the iron better. Moreover, incorporating meats into the daily diet is relatively easy.
If you are a person with iron deficiency, you can easily toss in some lean cuts of chicken into your salad or steamed rice with veggies, and you will get the daily requirement of iron.
Most people shy away from organ meat, but the liver is an excellent iron-rich food for anaemic patients. You can try eating both chicken and goat liver for your daily iron requirements. Other than being rich in iron, liver meats and other organ meats are also rich in folate.
Though many people try to stay away from organ meat, liver meat is both tasty and healthy in moderation. Cook it with some tomatoes, garlic and onion, and you wouldn't even notice that you are consuming organ meat.
Seafood is a popular source of iron, and most fishes are also rich in omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids boost one’s heart health. According to some studies, fishes like mackerel, tuna, and haddock contain massive amounts of iron.
The omega-3 also strengthens the organs which do not receive much oxygen in an anaemic patient's body. So as an anaemic patient, you need to include seafood and fish like oysters, sardines, salmon and Mahi Mahi at least once or twice a week.
Eggs are enriched with protein but contain a high amount of iron. They have low levels of saturated fats and contain Vitamin A, Vitamin D and choline, a nutrient that helps in the brain’s development.
Eggs are the most versatile food items on the planet. You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a snack. You can have them for breakfast, add them to your salad or in a sandwich.
Patients suffering from iron deficiency anaemia are suggested to consume a lot of vegetables and fruits. Leafy greens, incredibly dark leafy greens, are enriched with nonheme iron. These green leafy vegetables include:
Other than these, some other fruits and vegetables are high in iron, such as:
Experts say that nuts and seeds are some of the most nutrient-dense foods that are easy to consume regularly. For instance, if an anaemic patient eats 28 gm of pistachios daily, the individual will quickly get 6.1% iron, which is the daily requirement for any average individual.
Trying incorporating nut seeds in your meals, such as:
Lentils, beans and legumes have been termed superfoods in the last few years. This means that this food group can provide humans with more than one type of nutrient.
An average Indian's diet will contain some dishes that will include the following pulses and legumes:
According to known facts, half a cup of lentils contains around 3.3 mg of iron. This percentage of iron content will make up 20% of the requirement for an average human body.
Blackstrap molasses contains various nutrients like iron, selenium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and calcium. This ingredient is excellent for anaemic patients suffering from severe iron deficiency.
Furthermore, the other vital nutrients present in this molasses will also strengthen the body of the person suffering from anaemia. One can drizzle Blackstrap molasses over his/her overnight oats or chia pudding or even use it as a honey substitute.
Fortified foods are those food items where the manufacturer adds additional iron to the various food ingredients. Such foods include:
People who find it difficult to consume food items that naturally contain iron may eat these fortified foods for their daily intake. Furthermore, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you should also consider incorporating fortified food items in your meals.
Fortified pasta and rice are good options for getting your adequate daily iron intake, but there are also natural sources of iron in grains. It would be best to try consuming whole grains because they are rich in iron. Some of these grains include:
Now that you know about all the food items an anaemia patient should consume let's find out what foods they should avoid. Anaemic patients should avoid consuming certain food groups like:
Tannin is a substance commonly found in ingredients like tea, coffee, grapes and corn. Aside from keeping you awake for an extended period, the tannin in these food items will prevent your body and blood vessels from absorbing the iron you consume correctly.
As a result, doctors and nutritionists often suggest that patients with severe anaemia avoid consuming tannin-rich foods.
Calcium is a necessary nutrient for humans as it strengthens the bones and joints. However, excess calcium in an anaemic person’s body will not do him/her any good. Besides preventing the proper absorption of iron, excess calcium also aggravates the symptoms of anaemia.
Thus, people suffering from anaemia should ultimately reduce the consumption of milk and other dairy products like yoghurt and cheese.
Even though physicians and nutritionists suggest that anaemic patients consume whole grains like oats and whole wheat, they should avoid consuming excess amounts of gluten. Moreover, many people are allergic to gluten.
When somebody with gluten allergy consumes food items that belong to this food category, their intestinal walls can be damaged. This will disrupt the iron absorption process in the body.
Try avoiding gluten-rich foods like wheat, flour, barley, etc. If you want to consume these every once in a while, opt for their whole grain variants as they contain iron.
Polyphenols are known to prevent iron absorption in an individual's body. Food like apples, cocoa, coffee and spices contain polyphenols or phenolic compounds. This is why people suffering from anaemia should stop consuming such food items to avoid reducing their iron levels further.
Oxalic acid is a component that completely disrupts the absorption of iron in one's body. Hence, people suffering from anaemia should avoid oxalic acid-rich foods. However, some of the foods that people commonly consume in their everyday lives are rich in oxalic acid, like chocolate and parsley.
Phytate is a chemical that sticks to the iron in an individual’s digestive system. Thus, it stops the iron from getting absorbed in that human’s body. People with severe iron deficiency should avoid consuming foods with phytate.
So, if you have iron deficiency, avoid consuming foods like peas, sesame seeds and tofu that contain phytate.
People who do not suffer from anaemia have the chance of getting this disorder if they consume too much alcohol. Furthermore, people already suffering from anaemia will end up worsening his/her condition if he/she drinks alcohol.
Excessive alcohol consumption can also cause red blood cell abnormalities like it can decrease the production or force them to mature early. Moreover, consuming alcohol can also cause stomach ulcers which can disrupt iron absorption in the body.
If you or somebody you know is suffering from anaemia, then choosing a proper diet plan is extremely important. Below are a few factors that one should consider while choosing a diet for anaemia patients:
Below are a few key points that every anaemia patient should remember:
There are various kinds of anaemia, and each type has a different treatment. However, the only thing common in all these types of anaemia treatments is that it aims to increase the number of RBCs in an individual and the amount of oxygen in one's body. The various ways to reduce anaemia depending on each type of anaemia are stated below:
Some other treatments include pain relief medications, oxygen therapy, antibiotics, intravenous fluids and blood transfusions. Other than this, they may also prescribe patients to take folic acid supplements.
Individuals can suffer from anaemia for various reasons. It can be either a congenital or an acquired deficiency. As previously stated in this blog, this disease happens when the body cannot make adequate amounts of red blood cells. The other causes of anaemia include:
However, to get the long-term effect, you must maintain a proper diet for anaemia. Furthermore, if you maintain a good diet with iron and vitamin-rich foods, there is a high probability that you will not suffer from anaemia.
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