Natural foods that fight Anaemia

Anaemia occurs when the level of haemoglobin in the blood is below the bodies requirements; this could be due to the amount of red blood cells (Pernicious anaemia) in our bodies and possibly their shape (sickle cell, pernicious). Haemoglobin is the oxygen carrier in our blood and is essential for getting oxygen to the organs of your body.  Iron is needed to bind oxygen to the haemoglobin in the red blood cells and a low level of iron is the most common cause of anaemia in the UK. A woman normally carries enough iron in her system to last 6 months, however abnormal conditions such as anaemia sees this store severely reduced.
Another thing to mention at this point is that current research has found that anaemia and the severe reduction of iron stores is linked to neurodegenerative diseases such as Multiple Sclerosis.
Undergoing tests with your doctor will be an essential part of trying to diagnose Coeliac disease which is essentially another form of anaemia as bleeding in the stomach or stomach ulcers, can cause a malabsorption of Vitamin B12 through the destruction of the cells in the stomach lining that produce a protein called Intrinsic Factor, which is essential for the body’s absorption of B12.
About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women and 3% of men do not have enough iron in their body. The solution, in many cases, is to consume more foods rich in iron.
The following is the detailed list of different foods that can help fight anaemia. You should definitely find something that you like whether you’re vegan or not. We also state the quantities of each food you need to eat to ensure sufficient intake of iron.
There are two forms of dietary iron: haem and non-haem. Haem iron is derived from haemoglobin. It is found in animal foods that originally contained haemoglobin such as red meats, fish and poultry. Your body absorbs the most iron from haem sources.
Very good sources of haem iron, with 3.5mg or more per portion, include:
•    85g (3oz) of beef or chicken liver
•    85g (3oz) of clams or molluscs
•    85g (3oz) of oysters
Good sources of haem iron, with 2.1mg or more per portion, include:
•    85g (3oz) of cooked beef
•    85g (3oz) of canned sardines, canned in oil
•    85g (3oz) of cooked turkey
Other sources of haem iron, with 0.7mg or more per portion, include:
•    85g (3oz) of chicken
•    85g (3oz) of halibut, haddock, perch, salmon or tuna
•    85g (3oz) of ham
•    85g (3oz) of veal
Iron in plant foods such as lentils, beans and spinach is non-haem iron. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. Our bodies are less efficient at absorbing non-haem iron, but most dietary iron is non-haem iron.

Pumpkin Seed Oil

Very good sources of non-haem iron, with 3.5mg or more per portion, include:
•    Breakfast cereals enriched with iron
•    185g (6½oz) cooked beans
•    115g (4oz) of tofu
•    25g (1oz) pumpkin, sesame or squash seeds
Good sources of non-haem iron, with 2.1mg or more per portion, include:
•    85g (3oz) of canned butter beans, red kidney beans, chickpeas or split peas
•    125g (4½oz) dried apricots
•    One medium baked potato
•    One medium stalk of broccoli
•    55g (2oz) enriched egg noodles
•    4 tablespoons of wheat germ

Almond Butter

Other sources of non-haem iron, with 0.7mg or more, include:
•    25g (1oz) peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, roasted almonds, roasted cashews or sunflower seeds
•    75g (2¾oz) dried seedless raisins, peaches or prunes
•    25g (1oz) spinach
•    One medium green pepper
•    55g (2oz) medium-shaped pasta
•    One slice of bread, or bran muffin
•    200g (7oz) rice
And finally, super food powders that can be used in salads, mixed with sources and with smoothies or juices to enrich you diet with essential iron:
•    6g Chlorella
•    6g Spirulina

Chlorella Powder

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Always seek the advice of your doctor before beginning any new treatment or if you should have any questions regarding a medical condition. If you’ve been diagnosed with anemia, make sure to have regular blood tests to check on your condition. Your health care provider might want to prescribe additional iron supplements.
You should not disregard medical advice, or delay seeking medical advice, because of something you read in this article or the links accessible through it.