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What is Anaemia?
A deficiency of folic acid can lead to a type of anemic condition. This is characterized by having red blood cells that are impaired in their abilities to carry oxygen, which leads to a slow and chronic deprivation of oxygen to all of the cells of your body. An Anemic condition, which means " lacking in blood ", is among the most common diseases affecting
human beings. It denotes a shortage of rich red blood cells and colouring matter and usually
results from consumption of refined foods. The blood flowing in our veins and arteries is really living tissue. Nearly half of it consists of red
blood cells which carry oxygen to the tissues. Approximately one trillion ( 10,000 million ) new
blood cells are formed in the bone marrow daily. The raw materials required in the production of
these cells are iron, proteins, and vitamins, especially folic acid and B12. The red colouring matter, called haemoglobin is a protein which is composed of an organic
iron-compound called "heme". The globin is a sulphur -bearing protein which makes up 96 per
cent of the molecule. The formation of haemoglobin thus depends on adequate dietary supplies
of iron and protein. Red cells have a lifespan of approximately 120 days and are destroyed and
replaced daily. Each person should have 100 per cent haemoglobin or about 15 grams to 100 cc
of blood, and a blood count of five million red cells per millimeter. A drop in the hemoglobin
content results in anaemia and a consequent decreased ability of the blood to carry oxygen to
the tissues. The bone marrow replaces small amounts of blood is lost due to some reason without making a person anemic. But in cases where considerable amount of blood flows in small amount of time as a result of an injury due to a serious example for instance, it may not be possible for bone marrow to replace RBCs so quickly resulting in anemia.
Signs & Symptoms of Anaemia
Mild anemia usually does not produce symptoms. More severe anemia is associated with: A haggard look, with lines of strain, premature wrinkles, grayish skin, and dull and tired looking
eyes are the main symptoms of anaemia. Other symptoms of Anaemia include poor memory, weakness,
dizziness, fatigue, lack of energy, shortness of breath on exertion, slow healing of wounds,
headaches, mental depression, pale fingers, lips and ear lobes. The patient with Anaemia usually complaints of weakness, easy fatigue, lack of energy and dizziness.
Also skin, gums, and nail beds that are pale. Other symptoms of worsening anemia include: • lightheadedness, especially when you change positions, for example, when you stand up Signs of Pernicious Anemia are fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders (particularly diarrhea), and partial loss of coordination in the fingers, feet and limbs. Types of Anaemia Anemia is a blood disorder that is defined as: • having fewer red blood cells than normal, or • having less hemoglobin than normal (hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen). When there are not enough red blood cells or there is too little hemoglobin, the blood is not able to carry enough oxygen to all parts of the body. There are several forms of anemia, such as: In fact there are over 400 different forms of anemia; however, in this article we will focus on the most common forms, iron deficiency anemia, B12 deficiency and folate deficiency.
What Causes Anaemia? There are two principal causes of anemia. It can result from reduced or low formation of red
blood cells either due to defects in the bone marrow or an inadequate intake of iron vitamins,
and protein. Heavy loss of blood due to injury, bleeding piles and heavy menstruation may also
cause anemia. A lack of digestive acid of hydrochloric acid needed for digestion of iron and
proteins may also result in anemia. Emotional strain, anxiety and worry usually interfere with
the manufacture of hydrochloric acid in the body. Anemia can also be caused by a variety of
drugs which destroy vitamin E or by others which inactivate the nutrients needed in building
blood cells. Chronic diseases such as tuberculosis, when accompanied by hemorrhage, may
also result in anemia. HOOK WORM INFECTION Twenty-five
hookworms can consume fifteen grams of blood every 24 hours; a tapeworm can cause acute
shortage of vitamin B12. Symptoms of intestinal worms are itching at the rectum, restlessness at
night with bad dreams, diarrhoea, foul breath, dark circles under the eyes and a constant desire
for food. Garlic can help get rid of some types of intestinal parasites. Fresh papaya and grated
raw carrot are also effective. After successful treatment for intestinal worms, perfect cleanliness
should be observed to prevent recurrence. How do the different forms of anemia occur? Iron deficiency anemia: Pregnant women may have this form of anemia because the baby uses the mother's iron to make red blood cells and to grow. Women lose blood during their menstrual periods and from repeated pregnancies. Another cause of blood loss may be internal bleeding in the stomach (as with ulcers) or in the intestine (as with colon cancer). Hemolytic anemia: Vitamin B-12 (cobalamin) deficiency anemia: Stomach or intestinal illness, some medicines, and some inherited disorders may also cause vitamin B-12 deficiency. Some vegetarians may not get enough vitamin B-12 from the foods they eat. Besides causing anemia, a lack of vitamin B-12 affects the nervous system and may cause symptoms of numbness, tingling, balance problems, depression, or memory problems. Folic acid deficiency anemia: Anemia caused by inherited problems with red blood cells: THALASSEMIA MAJOR OR MINOR Sickle cell anemia is an inherited disease that causes abnormal, sickle-shaped red blood cells. Sickle cell disease is most prevalent among people who are African, African American, Mediterranean (Italian or Greek), Middle Eastern, East Indian, Caribbean, and Central or South American. The abnormal RBCs are damaged or destroyed as they pass through the circulatory system.
Anemia caused by disease:
Risk Factors: Did you know that Iron Deficiency Anemia affects about 20% of the world's population? It is also the most common type of anemia caused by inadequate dietary intake or absorption of iron. The anemia causes many symptoms. It can cause a condition called sickle cell crisis. The crisis may occur under certain conditions such as altitude or pressure changes, low oxygen, or some illnesses. In sickle cell crisis the RBCs become even more deformed and block tiny blood vessels, causing severe, prolonged pain and other complications. Thalassemias are a group of inherited anemias caused by abnormal hemoglobin. The abnormal hemoglobin may cause abnormal red blood cells as well as low hemoglobin levels. Thalassemias most commonly affect people of Mediterranean descent, but some types also affect peoples of Africa, Asia, India, and the South Pacific. Most forms of thalassemia are mild, but some forms cause life-threatening disease in children. Prevention:
Follow your health care provider's instructions. Take your medicine as prescribed.
The prevention of anemia depends on the cause. If your anemia is caused by a deficiency in your diet, eating foods rich in the missing nutrient will help to prevent a recurrence. To prevent the complications of vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia, follow your health care provider's treatment of vitamin B-12 injections. If you have sickle cell disease, it is important not to get dehydrated (that is, not to lose too much body fluid) during hot weather, exercise, or illness. Dehydration can trigger a sickle cell crisis. Genetic counseling is important for families with inherited anemia.
When to seek Medical Advice:
Your health care provider will carefully review your symptoms and examine you. You will have a complete blood count (CBC) to confirm anemia and to see how severe it is. You may need other blood tests to determine the type of anemia. A complete blood count will separate the red cells and give a read-out for hemoglobin and hematocrit. The normal lab range for non-pregnant women is 12-16 g/dl and for the pregnant woman, 10-14 g/dl. The current standard definition for anemia is a hemoglobin below 11 g/dl. Pregnant women commonly have a decrease in their hemoglobin of about 10% due to the blood volume expansion. Treatment/Therapy: The treatment depends on the type of anemia you have. You will have follow-up visits with your health care provider to check your blood count and the effect of your treatment. Iron deficiency anemia: Iron tablets may have side effects such as abdominal cramps; nausea; constipation; and dark, hard stools. To lessen side effects, your health care provider will start you on a low dose of iron and slowly increase your dose to the necessary amount. He or she may suggest that you take vitamin C with the iron pills to help your body absorb the iron. Taking the iron at mealtimes can help prevent stomach and intestinal upset. Do not take antacids and do not eat or drink any dairy products at the same time you take the iron pills. Antacids and dairy products prevent the body from absorbing iron. Vitamin B-12 deficiency anemia: If you have this form of anemia because your stomach does not absorb vitamin B-12 well, the usual treatment is a shot of vitamin B-12 once a month. In some cases your health care provider may prescribe an oral tablet. Folic acid deficiency anemia: Anemia caused by inherited abnormalities of RBCs: The treatment for thalassemia depends on such factors as the severity of the anemia, your age, and the risk of blood transfusions. When blood transfusions are needed for acute anemia, there is a small risk that you will get a blood-borne disease such as hepatitis or AIDS, even though donated blood is carefully screened. For this reason, your health care provider will recommend a transfusion only when it is clearly the best treatment for you. People who have thalassemia must not take iron tablets. Anemia caused by chronic disease:
How long will the effects last? The symptoms of mild, easily treated anemias, such as iron deficiency anemia, respond quickly to treatment and improve in just a few days. The symptoms of chronic anemias, such as sickle cell anemia, come and go. Anemia associated with a chronic disease usually improves or worsens as the disease improves or worsens.
Water Treatment Cold friction, hot epsom salt bath for five to
10 minutes once a week and an occasional cabinet steam bath are also recommended. Full
sun baths are especially beneficial as sunlight stimulates the production of red cells. There are other important factors which are helpful in curing anaemia. Deep breathing and light
exercise like walking and simple yoga asanas should be undertaken to tone up the system.
Sarvangasana paschomittanasana, uttanpadasana and shavasana are recommended. Massage
also helps to keep the blood level high.
Because folic acid is effective at treating anemia it is sometimes prescribed by doctors to treat anemia symptoms caused by other conditions. Interestingly folic acid was first discovered because a Dr. Lucy Wills noted that a substance in Brewer’s Yeast appeared to correct the condition of anemia in pregnant women. This substance was folic acid. The primary cause of a folic acid deficiency is poor diet, but currently governments in the U.S., Britain and other countries are requiring that foods be fortified with folic acid or folate as it is sometimes called. This fortification greatly reduces the chances that someone in these countries will develop a folic acid deficiency and the ensuing anemia. Foods that are fortified with folic acid are, breakfast cereals, some grain products and wheat flour. For most types of anemia, supplementation of a ferrous product and/or folic acid will be given during the maternity period and postpartum as well as dietary guidance for ingestion of iron rich foods. In sever cases, blood transfusion may be necessary.
Diet change strategies: 1. Eat Foods that are Rich in Iron The best food sources of iron are wholegrain cereals, pulses and legumes, and fish. The best plant sources are green leafy vegetables such as dry lotus stems, cauliflower greens, and turnip greens; fruits such as black currants, watermelons, raisins, and dried dates.
However, irons from these foods are hard for the body to absorb. It is recommended that you eat animal products, which contain heme iron. If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption. 2. Cook Using Cast-Iron Cookwares Did you know that cooking in cast-iron cookwares can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body? Yes, it's true and this was proven by researchers who tested 20 foods.
Acidic foods that have higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorb the most iron. In fact, for 100 grams of each (about 3.5oz.), the applesauce increased in iron content from 0.35mg to 7.3mg, and the spaghetti sauce jumped from 0.6mg to 5.7mg of iron. Food cooked for longer periods of time absorbed more iron than food that was heated more quickly. Foods prepared with a newer iron skillet absorbed more iron than those cooked in an older one. Foods that were cooked and stirred more frequently absorbed greater amount of iron because they came into contact with the iron more often. Foods such as hamburger, corn tortillas, cornbread, and liver with onions won't absorb much iron due to the shorter cooking times. This list was provided so you can have general idea of the difference in dietary iron content when cooking in a cast-iron pan: Foods Tested (100g/3.5oz) = Iron content when raw = Iron content after cooking in iron skillet - Applesauce, unsweetened = 0.35mg = 7.38mg 3. Avoid Whole Cow's Milk on the First 12 Months of Life Whole cow's milk contains as much iron per liter as breast milk, but only a very small proportion is actually absorbed into the body. However, the iron in breast milk is very well absorbed by babies. Therefore, breast milk is one of the best sources of iron for baby providing all the iron needed (with all other nutrients and benefits) for the first 6 months of life. Bottom line: Things to Remember: * Chronic blood loss, times of increased need such as pregnancy, and vigorous exercise can trigger iron deficiency. * Don't take iron supplements unless advised by your doctor. * There are two types of iron: heme iron (found in animal foods) and nonheme iron (found in plant foods). Combining foods that are high in heme iron with nonheme iron foods boosts the absorption power. * Keep iron supplements away from children - as little as one to three grams can kill a child under six years.
Anaemia is much more easily prevented than corrected. A liberal intake of iron in the formative
years can go a long way in preventing iron-deficiency anaemia. Diet is of the utmost importance in the treatment of anaemia. Almost every nutrient is needed for
the production of red blood cells, haemoglobin and the enzymes, required for their synthesis. Refined food like white bread, polished rice, sugar, and desserts rope the body of the much
-needed iron. Iron should always be taken in its natural organic form as the use of inorganic can
prove hazardous, destroying the protective vitamins and unsaturated fatty acids, causing serious
liver damage and even miscarriage and delayed or premature births. The common foods rich in
natural organic iron are wheat and wheat grain cereals, brown rice and rice polishings, green
leafy vegetables, cabbage, carrot, celery, beets, tomatoes, spinach ; fruits like apples,
berries, cherries, grapes, raisins, figs, dates, peaches and eggs. It has been proved that a
generous intake of iron alone will not help in the regeneration of haemoglobin. The supplies of
protein, too, should be adequate. The diet should, therefore, be adequate in proteins of high
biological value such as those found in milk, cheese and egg. Copper is also essential for the
utilisation of iron in the building of haemoglobin. Vitamin B12 is a must for preventing or curing anaemia. This vitamin is usually found in animal
protein and especially in organic meats like kidney and liver. A heavy meat diet is often
associated with a high haemoglobin and high red cell count, but it has its disadvantages. One
cause of anaemia is intestinal putrefaction, which is primarily brought on by a high meat diet. Moreover, all meats are becoming increasingly dangerous due to widespread diseases in the
animal kingdom. There are, however, other equally good alternative sources of vitamin B12 such
as dairy products , like milk, eggs and cheese, peanuts. Wheat germ and soyabeans also
contain some B12. Vegetarians should include sizeable amounts of milk, milk products and eggs
in their diet. For prevention of anaemia, it is essential to take the entire B-complex range which includes B12,
as well as the natural foods mentioned above. Eating lacto-avo products, which are complete
proteins, and which also contain vitamin B12 is good insurance against the disease. Brewer’s
yeast is a good source of complete protein. A liberal intake of ascorbic acid is necessary to facilitate absorption of iron. At least two helpings
of citrus fruits and other ascorbic acid rich foods should be taken daily. Mention must be made of beets which are extremely important in curing anaemia. Beet juice
contains potassium, phosphorous, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein,
fat, vitamins, B1, B2, niacin B6, C and vitamin P. With its high iron content, beet juice
regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells, supplies the body with fresh oxygen and helps
the normal function of vesicular breathing.
Vitamin & Nutrient Associations In addressing anemia it is important to know its cause, so talk to your doctor and ask him/her to run a blood test to evaluate your health and help you to determine what type of anemia you may have. Even when we try to eat well, we're disadvantaged. The nutritional content of most food has been compromised over the years, not only by deficient soils and modern production, transportation, storage and processing methods, but also by the enormous amounts of chemical and artificial substances added to promote growth, storage life, taste and appearance. It's for this reason that more and more medical authorities are advocating the use of vitamin and mineral supplements. Good quality nutrition products make use of knowledge gained from the botanical world's 6,000 year history. They incorporate health building nutritional herbs with the best modern technology to help our bodies cleanse and detoxify so that the cells - the tiniest living units - can be as fully nourished as possible.
You may find benefit from our information on detoxification as well as a bit about detoxing because of change of diet We wish you well in your search for solutions to this Anaemia problem and your movement towards better health in all areas. More Resources available about Anaemia :
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