Diet Plan for Anemia: Nutrition And Foods To Manage Iron Deficiency 

The right choice of food may have a favorable effect on iron deficiency anemia. Foods that support enough healthy red blood cells can help deliver oxygen-rich blood throughout your body, and supply essential nutrients. A diet plan for anemia iron deficiency should include foods rich in iron. It is important to include foods that are rich in iron, B vitamins, and vitamin C in the diet plan for anemia.

Iron-rich foods that can improve the body’s absorption of iron include a healthy balance of meat and poultry, seafood, iron-rich vegetables, nuts and seeds, and beans.

Sometimes additional iron supplements are necessary for iron-deficiency anemia, so be sure to talk to your healthcare provider before taking them.

What is iron deficiency anemia?

Iron deficiency anemia is a type of anemia that occurs due to low levels of iron in the body. It is the most common cause of anemia in adults. Common causes include anemia, pregnancy, and a low-iron diet.

Anemia means a low amount of hemoglobin in the blood. This may be due to a decrease in the number of RBCs in your blood or a decrease in the amount of hemoglobin in each RBC. Because the body uses oxygen to make energy, a person with anemia has a low amount of oxygen in their blood, which can cause fatigue or shortness of breath.

How to replenish iron?

Studies show that iron deficiency in the body can be easily met if we make changes in our diet. The best diet plan for anemia should be high in foods that help your body absorb iron better.

The two types of iron found in the diet are heme iron and nonheme iron.

Heme iron is iron found in animal sources such as red meat, poultry and fish. Some other heme iron-rich foods are oysters, beef liver and sardines. The term ‘heme iron’ is due to the heme protein attached to the iron. About 15-35% of the heme iron in the diet is absorbed by the body. Heme iron can also be used through animal-based iron supplements.

Nonheme iron is iron found in plant sources such as beans, nuts, lentils, green leaves such as spinach, and pumpkin seeds. The iron in eggs and dairy products is also considered nonheme iron. However, nonheme iron has a lower absorption rate (2–20%) than heme iron. Taking vitamin C increases the absorption of iron.

The recommended daily intake (RDI) for iron is based on an average, and is 18 mg per day, but this amount varies from person to person depending on gender, age, and life stage. may differ. Heme iron is easily absorbed by the body and whereas non-heme iron is absorbed by the body, the body has to go through several stages. Therefore, the RDI for vegetarians and vegans is 1.8 times higher than for non-vegetarians.

Diet Plan for Anemia

It is best to consume a variety of foods rich in iron to get a well-balanced nutrition.

Add these foods to your diet to get more iron:

Green leafy vegetables

Green leafy vegetables are a rich source of nonheme iron. Eat as much as possible vegetables made of spinach, fenugreek, green collard, coriander, mint, turnip, dandelion plant, green onion and radish etc.

Talking about spinach, it is rich in many types of minerals, while many types of vitamins, minerals, calcium and other nutrients are found in abundance, daily consumption of spinach also removes the lack of blood and It is also considered a better source of iron. You can consume iron in many ways, such as in the form of its juice, in the form of vegetables, salads etc. Consuming spinach is very good for health.

Beans

If you want to overcome iron deficiency, then beans can be of great use to you. By consuming them daily, the deficiency of hemoglobin in your body goes away day by day. Iron-rich beans you can include kidney beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, lima beans, black-eyed peas, soybeans.

Nuts and seeds

Many types of nuts and seeds are powerhouses of iron. And if you are a vegetarian, then consuming them can be especially beneficial for you.

Eat a variety of nuts and seeds to get a wide variety of nutrients. You can add nuts to your fruit salad for breakfast, then add them to leafy salads and eat them.

Pumpkin seeds, cashews, pistachios, hemp seeds, sunflower seeds, pine nuts are good sources of iron.

Meat, poultry and liver

Meat, poultry, liver, fish and seafood contain heme (blood) iron that can be easily absorbed.

Red meat (beef, pork and lamb) is rich in heme iron. However, consuming too much of it will increase the risk of getting colorectal cancer.

For individuals with iron deficiency or increased iron needs, consuming red meat and occasionally liver can help you improve iron status and recover from anemia more quickly.

Conclusion

Iron is a very important component of the human diet. It is necessary for the formation of hemoglobin. Iron deficiency anemia occurs due to low levels of hemoglobin. Red blood cells contain haemoglobin. Red blood cells are important components in the blood.