Table of contents:
- Blood-boosting food sources for anemia
- 1. Foods high in iron
- 2.Copper rich foods (copper)
- 3. Foods high in folic acid
- 4. Foods rich in vitamin B12
- 5. Food contains vitamin B6
- 6. Foods high in vitamin A.
- 7. Food contains vitamin C.
- 8. Food contains vitamin E.
- Are there dietary restrictions for anemic people?
- 1. Foods that contain tannins
- 2. Foods that contain gluten
- 3. Foods that contain phytate
There are various causes of anemia, from iron deficiency to genetic problems (heredity). When anemia is diagnosed, the process of delivering oxygen and nutrients to all cells and tissues of the body is disrupted. Various complaints arise, such as fatigue, dizziness, and pale skin. In general, some blood-boosting foods can help treat anemia. What are the foods that are good for blood booster and abstinence?
Blood-boosting food sources for anemia
The body requires adequate intake of certain vitamins, minerals, and nutrients in order to continue producing healthy red blood cells.
Eating nutritious foods can also help you avoid blood loss and complications that may arise due to anemia.
Here are some types of foods that are useful for boosting blood for anemic people.
1. Foods high in iron
Foods high in iron are important as a blood booster for anemia. Iron helps in the production of hemoglobin, which is needed by red blood cells.
You can get the most blood-boosting foods with the most nutritional intake from animal sources, such as:
- Red meat
- Poultry, like chickens
- Offal, such as beef liver
- Seafood, such as oysters and fish
Iron derived from animal foods can be absorbed by the body as much as 70 percent.
Apart from animal sources, you can also get additional iron from plant sources, such as dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and mustard greens.
2.Copper rich foods (copper)
Foods that contain copper minerals are an important intake for blood booster.
The copper mineral serves to help the body increase the production of red blood cells. When levels are low, the body absorbs a small amount of iron. As a result, the production of hemoglobin in red blood cells is reduced. You also have iron deficiency anemia.
Blood booster foods that are high in copper minerals for anemic people can be obtained from:
- Whole grain
- Nuts
- Poultry meat such as chicken and duck
- Seafood such as shrimp and crab
- Cherries and chocolate
3. Foods high in folic acid
Folic acid or vitamin B9 is a nutrient that can help increase the number of red blood cells in the body. For this reason, people with anemia must eat foods that contain high folic acid, such as:
- Peas
- Red beans
- Green beans
- Offal, like a heart
- Green vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli
Try not to overcook foods containing folic acid. Steam, saute, or microwave the vegetables to prevent too much folic acid from being lost.
4. Foods rich in vitamin B12
Source: Nutrition Tribune
Vitamin B12 can improve bone marrow function to produce more normal red blood cells. If you are deficient in vitamin B12, the resulting red blood cell can be abnormal; tend to be oval and not round flat. Red blood cells that are not fully developed also die more quickly.
Well, people who have anemia can make foods high in vitamin B12 as blood boosters, such as:
- Offal, such as beef liver
- Fish
- Red meat
- Egg
- Milk and processed products
- Cereals
Make sure you eat meat two to three times a week to treat anemia.
Vitamin B12 is rarely found in vegetables or fruits. Those of you who have a vegetarian diet are more at risk of experiencing vitamin B12 deficiency.
If you are vegetarian, try to eat vegetarian foods fortified with vitamin B12 at least three times a day. You may also take 10 micrograms of vitamin B12 per day or as directed by your doctor.
5. Food contains vitamin B6
Similar to vitamin B12, vitamin B6 can also help the formation of red blood cells. Blood booster foods that are high in B6, include:
- Rice
- Wheat
- Cereals, and nuts
- Beef, goat, lamb and chicken
6. Foods high in vitamin A.
Source: Once Upon A Chef
Vitamin A deficiency can generally trigger symptoms of anemia. The relationship between vitamin A and anemia is not clear. But certainly, vitamin A deficiency can prevent the body from producing healthy red blood cells.
Lack of vitamin A in the body also has the risk of causing imperfect iron absorption. This will affect the production of red blood cells.
Some blood-boosting foods for anemia that are high in vitamin B6, namely:
- Cow's milk and its processed products, including whole milk
- Chicken eggs
- Beef or chicken liver
- Brightly colored vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, and sweet potatoes.
7. Food contains vitamin C.
Vitamin C is an important nutrient for those of you who have anemia. Vitamin C helps the process of absorption of iron in the body.
Increased iron in the blood can help the bone marrow to produce more healthy blood cells that contain hemoglobin.
You can get blood boosting foods that contain vitamin C from:
- Orange
- Peppers
- Strawberry
- Tomato
- Lentils
8. Food contains vitamin E.
Although very rare, cases of vitamin E deficiency can actually increase the risk of hemolytic anemia. Hemolytic anemia is a type of anemia that occurs when red blood cells become brittle and die more quickly.
Vitamin E has an important function to protect red blood cell membranes from oxidative damage (caused by free radicals). To prevent anemia, you can eat foods that contain vitamin E, such as:
- Vegetable oils, such as wheat oil, peanut oil, and olive oil
- Nuts
- Whole grains
- Milk
- Vegetables such as spinach and red bell peppers
- Avocado
Are there dietary restrictions for anemic people?
In addition to increasing the intake of high nutritious blood-boosting foods, anemic people must be more observant about avoiding certain foods. The reason is, certain foods or drinks can interfere with the absorption of nutrients that are important for the production of red blood cells.
The following are dietary restrictions that anemia patients should know about.
1. Foods that contain tannins
Tannins are naturally occurring substances found in many plant food sources, such as black and green tea, coffee, grapes, sorghum, and corn.
Drinking coffee is dictated to cause iron absorption to be inhibited. A study published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that one cup of coffee can reduce iron absorption by up to 39 percent.
Other studies have also shown that drinking one packet of instant coffee can reduce iron absorption by 60-90 percent. If you have anemia, as much as possible avoid foods and drinks that contain tannins.
2. Foods that contain gluten
For those of you who have anemia and celiac disease at the same time, avoid eating foods that contain gluten. For people with Celiac disease, gluten can damage the lining of the intestinal wall, preventing nutrients such as folate and iron from being absorbed by the body. Gluten is commonly found in rye.
3. Foods that contain phytate
Fitat or phytic acid is a substance found in foods high in fiber, such as brown rice. Phytate has the property of inhibiting the absorption of iron.
According to the Linus Pauling Institute, 5-10 mg of phytate alone can inhibit iron absorption by up to 50 percent. So you should avoid foods containing phytates to prevent this to prevent anemia symptoms from getting worse.
Some examples of foods high in phytate include almonds, whole grains, sunflower seeds, and certain nuts, such as soybeans.
Dietary sources high in phytate can increase the risk of iron and zinc deficiency. However, you can work around this by soaking the nuts or wheat grains for a while and roasting them before processing them.
Or you can eat these foods together with blood-boosting foods such as meat or those high in vitamin C.