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Anemia is the Greek word for “no blood”. But that’s exaggerated. People with anemia have plenty of blood, but they don’t have the required number of red blood cells, or these cells are not containing their usual payload of oxygen to give them energy. There are many forms of anemia, but the most common is iron- deficiency. When you are not getting enough iron in your diet or you are losing blood, for example as a result of menstruation, the oxygen carrying capacity of your blood can drop rapidly. You wilt, when deprived of oxygen. Anemia can make you sluggish and weak. Your brain feels fuzzy and you’re always cold. It is estimated that about 20 percent of women in the US, and 3 percent of men have a low iron problem, and consequently are at risk of Anemia. The Daily Value (DV) for iron is 18 milligrams, but pregnant women need 30 milligrams a day, which is a much higher amount. Obstetricians may prescribe supplements for pregnant women, because it’s difficult to get that much iron from the diet. For other people, it’s not too hard to get the required amount of iron from the diet, just eat meat, fish, and poultry daily. These foods contain a substantial amount of iron. However, if you eat little or no meat, you must pay more attention to your diet. Vegetables also have some iron. For example, a cup of pumpkin has 3.4 milligrams of iron. Kidney beans and lentils have about 3 milligrams in a half cup. The bio-availability of iron isn’t the problem with these foods. How to increase Absorption Bio-availability means how well our bodies absorb the nutrients we eat. There are two forms of iron with completely different levels of bio-availability. The iron found in meat, fish, and shellfish, called heme iron, is readily absorbent. The iron found in plant foods, called nonheme iron, is less absorbent. For example, of the 6 milligrams of iron in 3 ounces of mussels, about 15 percent will be absorbed by your body. However, only 3 percent of the 3 milligrams of iron in a half-cup of lentils will be absorbed. But it’s possible to boost the bio-availability of iron with clever eating. For example, when you eat a food that contains vitamin C with a food that contains iron, you will definitely get a lot more iron into your bloodstream. Iron is best absorbed in an acidic environment, particularly ascorbic acid. Similarly, when you combine meat with vegetables in the same meal makes it easier to get more iron. The heme iron in meats “potentiates” the iron in vegetables, making it easier to absorb. Mixing heme iron from meats with nonheme iron from beans and vegetables will increase absorption of the nonheme iron by 10 to 15 percent. Coordinating it all does give the most benefits. But if a woman is iron deficient, the absorption of iron will be much more avid. So, the more iron she eats, the more she absorbs. How to get more iron If you think that you have Anemia, a complete check-up by your doctor may be necessary to make sure that you have nothing serious. When it shows that you don’t have enough iron in your diet, it’s easy to correct. There are ways you can mix iron with vitamin C. You can get vitamin C by drinking orange juice. Or you can eat baked potatoes. One baked potato with skin contains 17 milligrams of vitamin C, which is 28 percent of the Daily Volume, as well as 1.9 milligrams of iron. Eating the potato with the skin will provide more than triple the amount of iron. However, don’t combine calcium with iron. Especially when you’re taking iron supplements. “They compete with the same receptor sites on your cells,” according to Fergus Clydesdale, PhD, distinguished professor and head of the department of food science at the University of Massachusetts in Amherst. The calcium and iron in foods also compete, but not as much as when you’re taking supplements. Dr. Clydesdale suggests taking your calcium and iron three hours apart. The same happens with coffee and tea. Both beverages contain tannins, those chemicals have some blocking effect on iron supplements. So don’t take your pills with your coffee. When you have breakfast, take half a cup of cooked Cream of Wheat. It is loaded with 6 milligram of iron. Instant oatmeal contains less, about 3 milligrams in half a cup. Problem with being vegetarian Anemia is much more a common problem in vegetarians than in meat eaters. The reason is because they lack vitamin B12, which is mostly found in meat. This nutrient is needed for cells to divide and mature properly. As a result, strict vegetarians may get little or no vitamin B12 in their diets. The condition called pernicious anemia, doesn’t develop immediate. The body uses only a little of vitamin B12. Most people have enough in store to last about 6 years. Because of this, strict vegetarians probably don’t feel the symptoms of B12 deficiency, which is fatigue and tingling in the hands and feet for a very long time. However, as with iron deficiency, having a lack of vitamin B12 is easy to correct. Strict vegetarians who eat no meats, dairy food, or eggs have probably to take B12 supplements or brewers’ yeast. Ask your doctor to find out what’s best for you.
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iron deficiency, vitamin B12, pernicious anenia, tannins ascorbic acid,
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