10 foods to fight anemia
Anemia may be due to a lack of iron, vitamin B12, or folic acid. Be sure to add these foods to your regular diet.
Paleness, fatigue, cold, palpitations or headaches are some of the symptoms of anemia. Normally, the cause must be found in the deficiency of some nutrients, specifically a deficiency of iron, folic acid or vitamin B12.
Iron deficiency anemia is the most common and may be due to an incorrect diet that lacks foods rich in iron or nutrients that facilitate its assimilation. It can also be caused by intestinal malabsorption or excessive blood loss .
The recommended daily amounts of iron, folic acid and vitamin B12 depend on age and sex. Except in pregnancy, about 15 mg of iron , 180 to 200 mcg of folic acid , and 2 mcg of B12 are required .
THE 10 MOST EFFECTIVE FOODS TO COMBAT ANEMIA
A diet rich in these nutrients will help you prevent and combat anemia . Take note, these are some of the best foods with anti-anemic action.
1. SPROUTED ALFALFA
Alfalfa seed sprouts contain about 1 mg of iron per 100 g . They also contain 8.20 mg of vitamin C, which favors the absorption of non-heme iron of vegetable origin.
2. OATMEAL
About 100 g of oats provide 4.7 mg of iron, which is higher than meat , which is around 3 mg.
One cup provides 60% of the daily needs for this mineral, so get an idea of the great benefits of the properties of oats .
3. DRIED FIGS
In dried figs, most of the nutrients are even more concentrated than in fresh figs : 100 g provide 2.23 mg of iron , compared to 0.37 mg in fresh figs.
With only five pieces, 10% of daily needs are covered.
4. KIWI
Thanks to its high vitamin C content (about 98 mg per 100 g), kiwi significantly improves the absorption of iron provided by other foods.
In a study published in the British Journal of Nutrition , it was found that accompanying an iron-enriched breakfast with a yellow kiwi , even richer in vitamin C than green kiwi, for at least 16 weeks, improved iron levels in women with low levels of this mineral.
5. LENTILS
Lentils are a very good source of iron (9 mg/100 g), although since they are non-heme (vegetable), the best way to take advantage of their iron is to eat them with foods rich in vitamin C.
They also provide large amounts of nutrients that promote the formation of red blood cells, such as folates (215 mcg/50 g) and copper (0.425 mg/50 g).
One option to combine lentils with vegetables is to prepare rice with lentils and vegetables.
6. BEER YEAST
Brewer ‘s yeast acts as a natural multivitamin , as it contains a large amount of minerals and trace elements, high biological quality proteins and all the B vitamins . It can be found enriched with vitamin B12.
7. MISO
The various varieties of miso that exist are rich in iron. Hatcho miso is the most indicated variety if you have anemia (7.1 mg of iron/100g).
8. PISTACHIOS
Pistachio is a good source of iron (6.78 mg/100 g) and copper (1.2 mg/100 g), two minerals that when combined have an anti -anemic effect greater than that of a pharmaceutical iron preparation alone.
9. RED BEET
In beets , the high content of iron (1.80 mg/100 g), vitamin C (30 mg/100 g) and folates (109 mcg/100g) provides great anti-anemic action .
It stimulates hematopoiesis, that is, the production of blood cells in the bone marrow.
10. CHLORELLA ALGAE
It is the only physiologically active vegetable source of B12 : 0.6 g of chlorella or 3 tablets of 0.2 g provide 4 mcg of B12, the daily maintenance dose. If there is anemia , the intake should be tripled.
CAUSES OF ANEMIA
We have already seen that iron deficiency anemia is the most common and that it may be due to a diet poor in this mineral, intestinal malabsorption or excessive blood loss.
Blood loss can be due to bleeding, heavy menstruation, surgery or the presence of tumors. The body makes fewer and smaller red blood cells, with a smaller amount of hemoglobin, the protein that carries and releases oxygen to cells.
Anemia can also be caused by a lack of folic acid or vitamin B12 , which produces large , fragile red blood cells . Vitamin B12 is frequently due to malabsorption due to intrinsic factor deficiency (a gastric protein), while folic acid is more common when demands increase.
Both iron and folic acid can be obtained from plant foods. However, vitamin B12 must be supplemented if following a vegan diet, so it is important to know which foods have vitamin B12 .
