How to Counter Anemia Naturally through Correct Diet

Saturday, September 04, 2010 by: Fleur Hupston
Tags: anemia, diet, health news

(NewsTarget) Between 5 to 6 liters of blood circulate around the body, which accounts for 8% of human body weight, with an average density of approximately 1060 kg/m3. Normally no-one gives blood circulation a second thought, until something goes wrong, that is. Sometimes a number of red blood cells in the circulatory system drops way below normal. This condition is known as anemia. What can be done to counter anemia naturally?

There are a number of causes of anemia. It can be caused be a hemorrhage due to an accident or an illness. Slow bleeding from a stomach or intestinal ulcer may also cause varying degrees of anemia. Adolescents, pregnant women and those consuming a poor diet are particularly prone to suffer from anemia.

Macrocytic Anemia

Macrocytic anemia is a condition which is caused by the enlarged size of the red blood corpuscles. This may be due to a deficiency of folic acid and/or vitamin B12. A deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12 is usually related to dietary inadequacy, certain alimentary diseases such as Celiac disease (or sprue) or liver diseases. Pregnancy and gastric bypass surgery also heighten the risk of developing macrocytic anemia. Vegetarians may also be at risk of developing macrocytic anemia due to the lack of vitamin B12 in their diet.

Symptoms of Macrocytic Anemia

Symptoms of macrocytic anemia can include dyspnea, headache, fatigue, sore tongue, glossitis, tachycardia, flow murmurs, splenomegaly, conjunctival pallor, ataxia, loss of deep tendon reflexes, loss of posterior column sensations and confabulation, diarrhea and other gastrointestinal problems.

Natural Cures for Macrocytic Anemia

Since one of the causes of macrocytic anemia is poor diet, improving one's diet to include foods which are rich in folic acid, iron and vitamin B12 will help remedy the problem. Foods that are high in vitamin B12 include organic meat, fish, eggs, raw milk and other dairy products, while sea vegetables may also contain a certain amount. Leafy green vegetables, such as spinach and lettuce, are a main source of folic acid.

Beetroot and beetroot juice contain many essential elements such as potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein, fat and vitamins B1, B2, B6, niacin, and vitamin P. With its high iron content, beetroot helps in the formation of red blood cells. The juice of red beetroot strengthens the body's powers of resistance and has proven to be an excellent remedy for anemia, especially in children and teenagers.

Cooked fenugreek leaves and fenugreek seeds, being rich in iron, can also help in blood formation.
Almonds are high in copper, iron and other vitamins. Copper along with iron acts as a catalyst in the synthesis of hemoglobin. Almonds are therefore very helpful in curing anemia.

One of the most important ways of combating the potentially deadly condition of anemia is to maintain a healthy diet. Avoid junk food and eat your vegetables!

Sources:

http://www.healthvitaminsguide.com/deficienc...
http://www.natural-homeremedies.org/blog/mac...
http://www.home-remedies-for-you.com/remedy/...

About the author

Fleur Hupston is a professional freelance writer. She is passionate about natural, healthy living and is currently studying to be a naturopath. She divides her time between writing for Natural News and various other sites, home schooling her children and studying part time.