Anemia

Anemia is an abnormally low red blood cell count, and is usually due to iron deficiency, but can also be a result of a lack of Vitamin B-12, B-6, folic acid, and/or copper in your systems. Anemia is diagnosed with a simple finger stick.

Just taking an iron supplement is not always the answer, so it is important to determine what is causing the anemia, so the underlying cause can be addressed.

Symptoms of anemia are:

  • Feeling fatigued
  • Feeling dizzy
  • Shortness of breath
  • Paleness of skin, as well as gums and inside eyelids.

During reproductive years, women are more prone to anemia, due to the loss of 20 to 40 mg of iron per month during the menstrual cycles.

Other common causes of anemia include an inadequate intake of iron in the diet, resulting in a deficiency of Vitamin B-12, a deficiency of folic acid, or poor absorption of iron in the body.

Though there are different, more rare or genetic predispositions to anemia, such as aplastic anemia, the most common is in menstruating or pregnant women.

To protect your baby and yourself, it is extremely important to make sure you are not anemic when you are pregnant and essential that you get sufficient iron and other elements in your blood stream so your baby can be healthy as he develops.

If a pregnant woman has anemia at delivery, there is a risk of excessive blood loss, even going into shock, resulting in death.

Home Remedies for Anemia:

Dietary Considerations:

The best home remedies or natural cures for anemia are common sense. Proper diagnosis, diet, supplements, and avoiding certain elements in your diet, are the best treatment or preventative for anemia.

Sources of Iron:

It is imperative to get the proper nutrients into the body.

  • Cereals
  • Rice
  • Pasta
  • Dairy
  • Vegetables (especially green leafy ones)
  • Meats
  • Poultry, and fish
  • Dried beans
  • Eggs and
  • Nuts

All these foods have been proven to boost the immune system. Make sure you are eating plenty of iron rich foods.

Even if you don’t like liver (though it is the best choice for iron rich diets) there are other alternatives like beets, dried fruits, bran flakes, oysters, brown rice, lentils, molasses, raisins, prunes, and breads and pastas made from whole grain flour.

Try cooking in iron pots. Your Grandmother’s old cast iron cookware can actually make you healthier, and control your anemia.

Take the proper vitamins, especially if you are pregnant, to ensure you are not anemic.

Things to Avoid:

Avoid drinking coffee, tea, and ingesting antacids, because they decrease the body’s ability to absorb iron.