Anemia is not a disease, it’s a good news. However, anemia can be an indication of some serious illnesses and that’s a very bad news. So, you need to check first with your doctor and ensure that you don’t have hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia or sideroblastic anemia. These types of anemia occur due to malfunctioning of your body which can be treated through proper medical intervention only. If everything is all right but you are still diagnosed with anemia, it is due to nutritional deficiency. You suffer from deficiency of iron, vitamin B 12 or folic acid. You should understand that your red blood cells count has gone really low and they can’t now carry enough oxygen to your body parts. Your hemoglobin, which carries oxygen to your various body parts, may also have reduced to such levels that may pose risk to your health. Therefore, you need to supply essential nutrients to your body so as to treat this nutritional deficiency anemia. Here are some home remedies for anemia of such type.A balanced and nutritious diet can go a long way in reversing anemia.
Red meats, egg yolks, clams & liver are some of the richest sources of iron.
However, there is hope for vegetarians too. Dietary iron is obtained from:
Spinach and other dark leafy vegetables
Dried beans
Parsley (herb) is one of the richest source of iron among plants
Nuts, seeds
Dried fruits (apricots, peaches, raisins, and prunes)
Fortified cereals
Fortified soy products
Brewer’s yeast
Cooking in iron pots and pans can also increase the amounts of iron consumed.
Vitamin C can enhance iron absorption in the body. So, a diet rich in vitamin C consisting of fresh fruits and vegetables (amla, guavas, limes, oranges, tomatoes, cabbages, etc.) should be maintained as well.
Exercises in moderation can improve blood circulation. However, an excess is additional stress which can be harmful in severe anemia. So, discuss with your physician before starting any regimen.
Homemade Wheatgerm Iron Tonic for Anemia
Till now you have known that you have to give full attention to your diet to fight off anemia resulting from deficiency of iron, folic acid, B vitamins and some other nutrients. Along with a balanced diet, you can use herbs and other plant portions to treat your anemia. Wheatgerm is one of them. It is a portion of wheat kernel which is removed while processing refined flour. Wheatgerm is a powerhouse of nutrients, main being iron and zinc. Why not use wheatgerm for anemia then! Here is a recipe for making a homemade iron tonic with wheatgerm. This is particularly beneficial for vegetarians who cannot get some first rated nutrients sourced from animals.
Beetroot-Apple Juice for Anemia
Apple is rich in iron along with many other health friendly components. On the other hand, beet is high on folic acid as well as fiber and potassium. Its most nutrient rich part is just under its peel. So, if you plan to have beets, you may cook it in a microwave oven or just roast it on gas stove with its peel still on it. After it gets cooked, peel the beet and have it. While you can always have an apple or two in a day, when you mix with beet with apple, your chances of fighting off anemia doubles up.
Spinach for Anemia
Just half cup of spinach daily is what you need to cure your anemia. This dark green leafy vegetable is high on Vitamins A, B9, E and C, iron, fiber, calcium and beta carotene. Just half a cup of boiled spinach has 3.2 mg of iron which is about 20% of daily iron requirement for a woman! So, include spinach in your daily diet. However, never forget to boil spinach,even if for a minute because spinach also has oxalic acid in it which interferes with the absorption of iron by body. Boiling the leaves can reduce its oxalic acid levels.
Tomatoes to Cure Anemia
Just having more iron is not sufficient. You should be able to absorb that iron too. For this, among other foods, you can have tomatoes for best results. Tomatoes are rich sources of Vitamin C and lycopene. Vitamin C is needed by your body to absorb iron.
Parsley for Anemia
Parsley, also known as rock celery, is perhaps the most popular culinary herb used worldwide. Apart from various other beneficial components, parsley is very high on iron and folic acid. A 100 g of parsley contains 5.5 mg of iron which means half a cup of fresh parsley or 1 tablespoon of this dried herb can meet 10% of your body’s daily requirement of iron! Not only this, its vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron well.
Eating Liver for Anemia
The iron that we get from animals is called heme iron. Our body absorbs this dietary iron better than the non heme iron which we get from plant based foods. It can absorb anywhere between 15-35% of the heme iron and that is a good number. Organ meat like liver, is a powerhouse of iron which is the most important nutrient that your body needs when suffering from anemia. Organ meats are much higher in nutrients than the muscle meats. Liver can provide you anywhere between 16 to 85 percent of your daily iron requirement depending upon what liver you are eating- calf, pork or chicken. Liver of chicken is one of the best sources of iron. Raw chicken liver has 9 mg iron while beef liver contains about 5 mg of iron. Liver is also a very good source of B vitamins, especially B12 as well as copper, phosphorus and zinc. However, it is also important to eat organ meats of those animals which are raised on fresh pastures and are not treated with hormones, antibiotics and commercial feed. So, if you eat non vegetarian foods, you should include eating liver to increase iron content in your blood and to get rid of anemia. However, if you survive on vegetarian foods only, there are many more options like legumes which we discuss next.
Wholegrains, Legumes, Nuts for Anemia
As you now know, your body can get two types of dietary iron- heme and nonheme- from two sources namely animals and plant based foods. Heme iron is found in animals, particularly red meat, fish and poultry. Nonheme iron can be found in both animals as well as plant based foods. Vegetarian sources of nonheme iron are vegetables, grains, lentils and beans. Whole grains, legumes as well as nuts are good vegetarian sources of iron and folic acid. However, you need to have balanced vegetarian diet if you intend to source your iron from plant based foods because heme iron which you get from animals can be absorbed well by your body without depending upon other dietary factors. Absorption of nonheme iron, however, depends upon other foods too that you eat. So, take a balanced diet and also avoid certain other foods. Here are some tips for you.
What to have for getting iron from vegetarian diet?
• Have legumes like kidney beans, lima beans, green peas, chick peas and pinto beans all of which are good sources of iron.
• Have nuts like peanuts, almonds and walnuts. Half a cup of walnuts can give you 3.75 mg of iron.
• Have pulses and wholegrain cereals.
• Have lots of fruits and vegetables as there vitamin C and organic acids keep iron in a reduced form so that nonheme iron is absorbed better by your body.
• Do not have tea, coffee, and cocoa with meals as polyphenols in them inhibit the absorption of nonheme iron by the body.
Raisins Remedy to Treat Anemia
Raisins are an excellent source of various nutrients including calcium, potassium, sodium, protein, fiber and iron. A 100 g of these dried grapes can provide you with 1.88 mg iron. Many traditional medicines use raisins to treat anemia. You too can have them.