Best diet plan for anemia

This is an automatically translated article.

Iron deficiency anemia is a fairly common condition today. This can be caused by a variety of factors, including a diet lacking in iron. To help enhance the absorption of iron for the body, you need to build a reasonable, balanced and healthy diet. "Anemia eat what to supplement?" This is a question that many people are interested in.

1. What is anemia?

Anemia is a condition that occurs due to insufficient red blood cells in the body. The main cause of this problem can be blood loss, the body not producing enough red blood cells or the destruction of healthy red blood cells.
One of the most common types of anemia today is iron deficiency anemia. In red blood cells contains hemoglobin - a protein that provides a lot of iron, When the body lacks iron, it will hinder the production of hemoglobin, thereby reducing the number of red blood cells and the amount of oxygen in the blood.
Besides, vitamin B12 and folate deficiency can also affect the body's red blood cell production. In particular, when the body does not receive enough vitamin B12 for a long time, it can lead to pernicious anemia.

2. Who is at high risk of anemia?

Iron deficiency anemia can happen to anyone, regardless of age or sex. However, the following people will have a higher risk of anemia than others:
Babies born prematurely, have hookworms, have gastrointestinal diseases or are underweight; Women who lose a lot of blood during childbirth or during their menstrual cycle; People whose daily diet is low in iron; People using certain anticoagulant medicines such as Plavix, Coumadin, Heparin, or Aspirin; People with kidney failure, especially during dialysis; People who are suffering from a condition that has difficulty absorbing iron into the body.

3. The best diet plan for anemia

Healthcare professionals say that the treatment of anemia will focus mainly on changes in the patient's daily diet. People with anemia should follow a diet that includes a variety of iron-rich foods along with several other important vitamins, which promote the production of the protein hemoglobin and red blood cells. . Besides, the diet for people with anemia can also include foods that have the ability to promote the body's absorption of iron.
Most of the foods that we use in our daily diet mainly provide 2 types of iron, including non-heme iron and heme iron. You can find nonheme iron in plant-based foods and iron-fortified foods. Meanwhile, heme iron is found mainly in poultry, meat and seafood. Although both types of iron can be absorbed by the human body, heme iron is considered more easily absorbed.
The recommended daily intake of iron would be 12 mg for women and 10 mg for men. Most experts recommend that people being treated for anemia need 150-200 mg of iron per day. In addition, patients with anemia may have to take prescription or over-the-counter iron supplements to balance iron levels in the body.
In the diet for people with anemia should have the following foods:
3.1.Green vegetables Many studies have shown that green vegetables are one of the great sources of food to help. you add a lot of nonheme iron to the body. In your daily diet, you should choose the following green leafy vegetables:
Kale; Spinach; Dandelion vegetables; collard greens; Swiss chard. In particular, green vegetables such as collard greens and Swiss chard are also rich in folate. Adequate folate for the body will help you prevent the risk of folate deficiency anemia. Besides these leafy greens, citrus fruits, whole grains, and beans are also good sources of folate.
However, some green vegetables like kale and spinach are not only high in iron but also rich in oxalates. This substance when bound to iron can interfere with the absorption of nonheme iron. Therefore, although eating green vegetables is beneficial for people with anemia, you should not focus on them as a primary method of treating the condition.
You can eat green vegetables in combination with foods rich in vitamin C such as red peppers, oranges and strawberries to help the stomach increase iron absorption. Some green vegetables are both a great source of vitamin C and an excellent source of iron, such as Swiss chard and collard greens.
3.2.Meat and Poultry Most meats and poultry contain heme iron. The best sources of this iron are lamb, red meat and venison. The amount of heme iron found in chicken and other poultry is usually lower.
To help increase iron absorption into the body, you should combine meat and poultry with other food sources of nonheme iron, such as green vegetables and fruits high in vitamin C.

3.3.Animal liver Many people think that the consumption of organ meats should be limited, but in fact, they are an extremely rich source of iron.
The most common organ meat is liver. It is rich in folate and iron. You can also get more iron through other organ meats like beef tongue, heart and kidney.
3.4. Seafood Seafood is also considered a good source of heme iron. You can add several types of seafood to your diet to help boost iron, such as scallops, oysters, crabs, clams and shrimp.
In addition, some iron-rich fish below are also a great choice for you:
Mackerel ; Fresh or canned tuna Mackerel; Perch; Fresh or canned salmon; Although canned sardines are rich in iron, they also contain large amounts of calcium. When calcium binds with iron, it can adversely affect the body's ability to absorb iron. Therefore, anemia patients should not eat iron-rich foods along with calcium-rich foods such as milk, yogurt, cheese or tofu.
3.5.Iron-fortified foods The addition of iron-fortified foods is extremely necessary for people with anemia, vegetarianism or difficulty consuming other sources of iron. Some foods are fortified with iron, including:
Foods made with iron-fortified refined flours, such as white bread; Iron-fortified instant cereals; Iron-fortified orange juice; Iron-fortified pasta; Iron-fortified instant cereals; Iron-fortified white rice; Foods made with iron-fortified cornmeal; 3.6. Beans Beans are a very good source of iron for meat eaters and vegetarians. Some iron-rich beans that you can choose from include:
Green beans; Chickpeas; Soy bean ; Black-eyed peas; Peas; Black beans; Lima bean. 3.7. Nuts Nuts not only have their own unique delicious taste, but can also be used in combination with many other dishes such as yogurt or salad. Besides, they also contain a large amount of iron, which is very beneficial for people suffering from anemia.
Some iron-rich nuts that you should choose, include:
Cashew nuts; Pumpkin seeds; Hemp seeds; Sunflower seeds; Pine nuts. Although almonds are also high in iron, they also provide calcium, which can reduce the amount of iron absorbed into the body.

4. Principles to remember when making an anemia diet

In fact, there is no food that can cure anemia. However, following a healthy diet with plenty of iron-rich food sources can help you manage anemia.
When following an anemia diet, you need to remember a few rules:
Do not eat iron-rich foods with foods or drinks that can interfere with absorption iron, such as tea, coffee, eggs, foods rich in calcium and oxalates; Eat iron-rich foods along with foods high in vitamin C, such as tomatoes, oranges or raspberries, to improve the body's absorption of iron; Eat foods rich in iron along with foods rich in beta carotene, such as red peppers, apricots or beets; Actively add foods containing both types of iron (heme and non-heme) in the daily diet to increase iron levels for the body. Add food sources rich in vitamin B12 and folate to support the body's production of red blood cells.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

Reference source: healthline.com