Best Diet to Control Anaemia: Foods to Eat and Avoid for Anaemia

Anaemia is a term used in medical terminology to refer to a condition where a person has low levels of red blood cells in his/her body. The red blood cells' job is to carry oxygen in the human body. When the number of red blood cells becomes too low in an individual's body, he or she will not get adequate oxygen in vital organs like the brain and lungs.

If you or somebody you know has been diagnosed with anaemia recently, make sure that the person maintains a proper diet for anaemia treatment. A good diet, exercise and medication will help keep the deficiency under control.

According to medical experts, many individuals, especially women, children and patients with long-term diseases, sometimes also suffer from anaemia. To combat the side effects of this deficiency, one should incorporate the following food items into his/her daily diet:

1. Meat and Poultry

All meat and poultry items are rich in iron, especially red meat. Therefore, if an anaemic individual eats red meats like lamb, chicken, goat meat, or duck meat combined with citrus fruits and leafy greens, the individual's body will be able to absorb the iron better. Moreover, incorporating meats into the daily diet is relatively easy.

If you are a person with iron deficiency, you can easily toss in some lean cuts of chicken into your salad or steamed rice with veggies, and you will get the daily requirement of iron.

2. Liver

Most people shy away from organ meat, but the liver is an excellent iron-rich food for anaemic patients. You can try eating both chicken and goat liver for your daily iron requirements. Other than being rich in iron, liver meats and other organ meats are also rich in folate.

Though many people try to stay away from organ meat, liver meat is both tasty and healthy in moderation. Cook it with some tomatoes, garlic and onion, and you wouldn't even notice that you are consuming organ meat.

3. Seafood

Seafood is a popular source of iron, and most fishes are also rich in omega-3. Omega-3 fatty acids boost one’s heart health. According to some studies, fishes like mackerel, tuna, and haddock contain massive amounts of iron.

The omega-3 also strengthens the organs which do not receive much oxygen in an anaemic patient's body. So as an anaemic patient, you need to include seafood and fish like oysters, sardines, salmon and Mahi Mahi at least once or twice a week.

4. Eggs

Eggs are enriched with protein but contain a high amount of iron. They have low levels of saturated fats and contain Vitamin A, Vitamin D and choline, a nutrient that helps in the brain’s development.

Eggs are the most versatile food items on the planet. You can eat them for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or even as a snack. You can have them for breakfast, add them to your salad or in a sandwich.

5. Fruits & Vegetables

Patients suffering from iron deficiency anaemia are suggested to consume a lot of vegetables and fruits. Leafy greens, incredibly dark leafy greens, are enriched with nonheme iron. These green leafy vegetables include:

• Collard greens
• Kale
• Spinach
• Dandelion greens
• Swiss chard

Other than these, some other fruits and vegetables are high in iron, such as:

• Red and Yellow Bell Peppers
• Lemon
• Oranges
• Key Lime
• Water Cress
• Strawberries
• Beet Greens
• Sweet Potatoes

6. Nuts & Seeds

Experts say that nuts and seeds are some of the most nutrient-dense foods that are easy to consume regularly. For instance, if an anaemic patient eats 28 gm of pistachios daily, the individual will quickly get 6.1% iron, which is the daily requirement for any average individual.

Trying incorporating nut seeds in your meals, such as:

• Walnuts
• Almonds
• Cashew
• Pistachio
• Hemp seeds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Sunflower seeds
• Peanuts
• Pine nuts
• Hazelnuts

7. Beans and Pulses

Lentils, beans and legumes have been termed superfoods in the last few years. This means that this food group can provide humans with more than one type of nutrient.

An average Indian's diet will contain some dishes that will include the following pulses and legumes:

• Black-eyed peas
• Kidney beans
• Red lentils
• Lima beans
• Chickpeas
• Soya beans

According to known facts, half a cup of lentils contains around 3.3 mg of iron. This percentage of iron content will make up 20% of the requirement for an average human body.

8. Blackstrap Molasses

Blackstrap molasses contains various nutrients like iron, selenium, magnesium, vitamin B6 and calcium. This ingredient is excellent for anaemic patients suffering from severe iron deficiency.

Furthermore, the other vital nutrients present in this molasses will also strengthen the body of the person suffering from anaemia. One can drizzle Blackstrap molasses over his/her overnight oats or chia pudding or even use it as a honey substitute.

9. Fortified Food

Fortified foods are those food items where the manufacturer adds additional iron to the various food ingredients. Such foods include:

• Fortified fruit juice
• Fortified rice
• Fortified readymade cereals
• Fortified pasta

People who find it difficult to consume food items that naturally contain iron may eat these fortified foods for their daily intake. Furthermore, if you are a vegetarian or vegan, you should also consider incorporating fortified food items in your meals.

10. Whole Grains

Fortified pasta and rice are good options for getting your adequate daily iron intake, but there are also natural sources of iron in grains. It would be best to try consuming whole grains because they are rich in iron. Some of these grains include:

• Quinoa
• Whole wheat
• Teff
• Kamut

Now that you know about all the food items an anaemia patient should consume let's find out what foods they should avoid. Anaemic patients should avoid consuming certain food groups like:

1. Tannin Rich Foods

Tannin is a substance commonly found in ingredients like tea, coffee, grapes and corn. Aside from keeping you awake for an extended period, the tannin in these food items will prevent your body and blood vessels from absorbing the iron you consume correctly.

As a result, doctors and nutritionists often suggest that patients with severe anaemia avoid consuming tannin-rich foods.

2. Calcium Containing Foods

Calcium is a necessary nutrient for humans as it strengthens the bones and joints. However, excess calcium in an anaemic person’s body will not do him/her any good. Besides preventing the proper absorption of iron, excess calcium also aggravates the symptoms of anaemia.

Thus, people suffering from anaemia should ultimately reduce the consumption of milk and other dairy products like yoghurt and cheese.

3. Foods With Gluten

Even though physicians and nutritionists suggest that anaemic patients consume whole grains like oats and whole wheat, they should avoid consuming excess amounts of gluten. Moreover, many people are allergic to gluten.

When somebody with gluten allergy consumes food items that belong to this food category, their intestinal walls can be damaged. This will disrupt the iron absorption process in the body.

Try avoiding gluten-rich foods like wheat, flour, barley, etc. If you want to consume these every once in a while, opt for their whole grain variants as they contain iron.

4. Polyphenol Containing Foods

Polyphenols are known to prevent iron absorption in an individual's body. Food like apples, cocoa, coffee and spices contain polyphenols or phenolic compounds. This is why people suffering from anaemia should stop consuming such food items to avoid reducing their iron levels further.

5. Oxalic Rich Foods

Oxalic acid is a component that completely disrupts the absorption of iron in one's body. Hence, people suffering from anaemia should avoid oxalic acid-rich foods. However, some of the foods that people commonly consume in their everyday lives are rich in oxalic acid, like chocolate and parsley.

6. Phytate Rich Foods

Phytate is a chemical that sticks to the iron in an individual’s digestive system. Thus, it stops the iron from getting absorbed in that human’s body. People with severe iron deficiency should avoid consuming foods with phytate.

So, if you have iron deficiency, avoid consuming foods like peas, sesame seeds and tofu that contain phytate.

7. Alcohol

People who do not suffer from anaemia have the chance of getting this disorder if they consume too much alcohol. Furthermore, people already suffering from anaemia will end up worsening his/her condition if he/she drinks alcohol.

Excessive alcohol consumption can also cause red blood cell abnormalities like it can decrease the production or force them to mature early. Moreover, consuming alcohol can also cause stomach ulcers which can disrupt iron absorption in the body.

If you or somebody you know is suffering from anaemia, then choosing a proper diet plan is extremely important. Below are a few factors that one should consider while choosing a diet for anaemia patients:

• Health Problems: Besides suffering from anaemia, a person can suffer from other underlying health issues. For instance, a patient who has anaemia may be allergic to seafood items which are high in iron. This is why it is important to get a thorough check-up before starting a diet regime.
• Budget: Some of the food items that are good for helping someone with anaemia can be very expensive. If you have anaemia but do not have the means to spend too much on food, then you should create a budget. This also stops you from stopping the diet regime midway.
• Availability: Many food items that are good for anaemia may not always be available in local markets. This is why it is important to create a flexible diet plan. You should be able to swap a particular food item with something that is healthy in case of unavailability.

Below are a few key points that every anaemia patient should remember:

• Older people who are over the age of 65 tend to suffer more from anaemia.
• Many a time, it has been seen that people who have anaemia in their family history suffer from anaemia.
• Diseases like kidney failure and cancer can also lead to anaemia.
• Both menstruation and menopause can drastically reduce RBCs in one’s body leading to anaemia.

There are various kinds of anaemia, and each type has a different treatment. However, the only thing common in all these types of anaemia treatments is that it aims to increase the number of RBCs in an individual and the amount of oxygen in one's body. The various ways to reduce anaemia depending on each type of anaemia are stated below:

• Iron Deficiency Anaemia- If an individual suffers from iron deficiency anaemia, then the physician will try to diagnose if the individual is suffering from any form of excessive internal bleeding. After that has been detected, the physician might suggest to the patient some iron supplements and medicines based on that individual's requirements. Another great way to solve iron deficiency anaemia is by adopting a healthy, iron-rich diet.
• Vitamin Deficiency Anaemia - A doctor might suggest a patient take some Vitamin B12 supplements if an individual suffers from anaemia.
• Anaemia Triggered Due Chronic Disease- In this case, the doctor's main aim is to control the underlying bleeding and treat the chronic disease.
• Sickle Cell Anaemia - Sickle cell anaemia is a more life-threatening kind of anaemia, and doctors may prescribe a drug, namely Hydroxyurea, which they use to treat patients with cancer.

Some other treatments include pain relief medications, oxygen therapy, antibiotics, intravenous fluids and blood transfusions. Other than this, they may also prescribe patients to take folic acid supplements.

• Thalassemia- Thalassemia is another life-threatening variant of anaemia. Physicians treat this with folic acid supplements and iron chelation. Whereas for some patients, the physicians may also prescribe certain patients with grave deficiency to get bone marrow transplants and blood transfusions.
• Aplastic Anaemia - Doctors suggest that patients suffering from aplastic anaemia get a bone marrow transplant or a blood transfusion.
• Hemolytic Anaemia - In this type of anaemia, the doctors usually prescribe immunosuppressant drugs to patients. Furthermore, they may suggest blood filter therapies like plasmapheresis and other treatments to cure infections.

Individuals can suffer from anaemia for various reasons. It can be either a congenital or an acquired deficiency. As previously stated in this blog, this disease happens when the body cannot make adequate amounts of red blood cells. The other causes of anaemia include:

• Lack of Iron in One’s Diet: If you eat iron-rich foods regularly, your body will also get iron. Foods for anaemia patients include the above-stated items. So, make sure to incorporate them into your daily diet. However, if you maintain an unhealthy diet of fast foods, soda and coffee, there will be a severe deficiency of iron in your body. Moreover, these foods disrupt the process of food absorption in your body.
• Failure to Absorb Iron: Some people cannot absorb iron into their bodies even after regularly consuming iron-rich foods. This can happen due to several reasons like blood loss, certain diseases or the use of certain medications. This is because they also consume other foods that disrupt the absorption process. Moreover, they might be suffering from underlying diseases like stomach ulcers, which may act as inhibitors of iron absorption.
• Pregnancy: During childbirth, women lose a lot of blood, which is why many women tend to get iron deficiency anaemia. This is why women are often prescribed iron supplements so that they do not develop iron deficiency during pregnancy. Furthermore, women are also prescribed iron supplements so that their babies do not end up developing congenital anaemia.
• Excess Blood Loss: The red blood cells in an individual's blood contain iron and are responsible for carrying oxygen. So, if an individual loses extra blood during accidents or for any other reason, they have a high chance of getting diagnosed with anaemia. Blood loss can also occur in the form of internal bleeding caused due to medical conditions like hernia, ulcers and cancer. When an individual suffers from anaemia, the doctor immediately suggests they take iron supplements. These iron supplements are good if you want to increase the iron level in your blood within a short time.

However, to get the long-term effect, you must maintain a proper diet for anaemia. Furthermore, if you maintain a good diet with iron and vitamin-rich foods, there is a high probability that you will not suffer from anaemia.