Posts Tagged ‘ Anemia ’

What excatly is Anemia?

September 10, 2010
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What excatly is Anemia?

Health Articles | August 18, 2010

Anaemia is the name doctors give to a sickness caused by poor blood.
(It is also spelled anaemia.) A person with anaemia has no colour in
his cheeks, and becomes tired very easily. Our blood is made up of
several important things (see the article on blood).

 The blood of a healthy person contains the proper amount of each of these important things. The blood of a person with anaemia does not have enough red blood cells, or red corpuscles, or else it does not have enough iron in it. The red blood cells get their colour because they contain iron.

This iron is in a protein substance called haemoglobin. which helps the lungs to take in oxygen from the air. If our bodies do not get enough oxygen, we grow weaker. A doctor takes a sample of a person’s blood if he thinks that person has anaemia. The doctor compares the colour of the blood sample with a colour chart. The colour chart shows how red a healthy person’s blood should be. Some people with anaemia are helped by eating foods that contain a lot of iron. Liver is usually the food that helps most. Milk, eggs, oranges, prunesComputer Technology Articles

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3 Best Ways to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia

May 20, 2010
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3 Best Ways to Prevent Iron Deficiency AnemiaEnlarge Image

Did you know that Iron Deficiency Anemia affects about 20% of the world’s population? It is also the most common type of anemia caused by inadequate dietary intake or absorption of iron. But if you do suffer from iron deficiency anemia due to lack of iron in your body, don’t look again on those poisonous iron supplements. Just follow these three preventive ways and you’re on the way of better living.

1. Eat Foods that are Rich in Iron

The best food sources of iron are wholegrain cereals, pulses and legumes, and fish. The best plant sources are green leafy vegetables such as dry lotus stems, cauliflower greens, and turnip greens; fruits such as black currants, watermelons, raisins, and dried dates. However, irons from these foods are hard for the body to absorb. It is recommended that you eat animal products, which contain heme iron. If you mix some lean meat, fish, or poultry with beans or dark leafy greens at a meal, you can improve absorption of vegetable sources of iron up to three times. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.

2. Cook Using Cast-Iron Cookwares

Did you know that cooking in cast-iron cookwares can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body? Yes, it’s true and this was proven by researchers who tested 20 foods. Acidic foods that have higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorb the most iron. In fact, for 100 grams of each (about 3.5oz.), the applesauce increased in iron content from 0.35mg to 7.3mg, and the spaghetti sauce jumped from 0.6mg to 5.7mg of iron.

Food cooked for longer periods of time absorbed more iron than food that was heated more quickly. Foods prepared with a newer iron skillet absorbed more iron than those cooked in an older one. Foods that were cooked and stirred more frequently absorbed greater amount of iron because they came into contact with the iron more often. Foods such as hamburger, corn tortillas, cornbread, and liver with onions won’t absorb much iron due to the shorter cooking times.

This list was provided so you can have general idea of the difference in dietary iron content when cooking in a cast-iron pan:

Foods Tested (100g/3.5oz) = Iron content when raw = Iron content after cooking in iron skillet

- Applesauce, unsweetened = 0.35mg = 7.38mg
- Spaghetti sauce = 0.61 = 5.77
- Chili with meat and beans = 0.96 = 6.27
- Medium white sauce = 0.22 = 3.30
- Scrambled egg = 1.49 = 4.76
- Spaghetti sauce with meat = 0.71 = 3.58
- Beef vegetable stew = 0.66 = 3.4
- Fried egg = 1.92 = 3.48
- Spanish rice = 0.87 = 2.25
- Rice, white = 0.67 = 1.97
- Pan broiled bacon = 0.77 = 1.92
- Poached egg = 1.87 = 2.32
- Fried chicken = 0.88 = 1.89
- Pancakes = 0.63 = 1.31
- Pan fried green beans = 0.64 = 1.18
- Pan broiled hamburger = 1.49 = 2.29
- Fried potatoes = 0.42 = 0.8
- Fried corn tortillas = 0.86 = 1.23
- Pan-fried beef liver with onions = 3.1 = 3.87
- Baked cornbread = 0.67 = 0.86

3. Avoid Whole Cow’s Milk on the First 12 Months of Life

Whole cow’s milk contains as much iron per liter as breast milk, but only a very small proportion is actually absorbed into the body. However, the iron in breast milk is very well absorbed by babies. Therefore, breast milk is one of the best sources of iron for baby providing all the iron needed (with all other nutrients and benefits) for the first 6 months of life. Bottom line: breast-feeding is the best way to prevent iron deficiency anemia in babies. If breast-feeding is not an option, or is stopped before 9-12 months, then iron-fortified formulas, which contain added iron, should be given to baby instead of whole cow’s milk.

Things to Remember:

* Chronic blood loss, times of increased need such as pregnancy, and vigorous exercise can trigger iron deficiency.
* Don’t take iron supplements unless advised by your doctor.
* There are two types of iron: heme iron (found in animal foods) and nonheme iron (found in plant foods). Combining foods that are high in heme iron with nonheme iron foods boosts the absorption power.
* Keep iron supplements away from children – as little as one to three grams can kill a child under six years.

About the Author:
Junji Takano is a Japanese health researcher and has been studying the causes of viruses since 1960s. In 1968, he invented Pyro-Energen, the first electrotherapy device that eradicates viral diseases in a non-narcotic way.

Visit him at: http://www.pyroenergen.com
Free newsletter: http://www.pyroenergen.com/newsletter.htm

Anemia Does Not Have To Be Pernicious Any More!

May 10, 2010
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Pernicious anemia is a condition caused by insufficient red blood cells due to a lack of vitamin B12 in the body. In the anemic person, the blood cannot carry enough oxygen to the cells of the body. The blood cells are larger than, and do not split like healthy ones.

The name “pernicious anemia” was coined in 1872 by the German physician Anton Biermer because it was often fatal as there were yet no treatments available. The disease, even today, can be severe if it is not treated in time. It is especially common in older adults.

Vitamin B12 deficiency can be caused by a number of factors. A diet low in this vitamin, like a strict vegetarian diet that excludes meat, fish, dairy products and eggs is the main culprit. However, most of the average North American diets of today are sadly lacking in B12. Breastfed infants of strict vegetarian mothers can develop anemia in a short time because they don’t have enough vitamin B12 stored in their bodies.

Chronic alcoholics and the aged are prime targets for this disease as they tend not to eat nutritious meals and have digestive troubles. The main causes are insufficient stomach acid, or Intrinsic Factor, to digest food in the intestine, parasite infections, an overabundance of intestinal bacteria, and medicine. B12 is very hard to digest and is dependent on sufficient Intrinsic Factor to be absorbed from the intestines into the blood stream. Celiac disease, a genetic disorder of intolerance to gluten, and Crohn’s disease, an inflammatory bowel disease, can also precipitate anemia.

The main risk factors for developing pernicious anemia include a family history of pernicious anemia, diabetes, a malfunctioning thyroid, and intestinal disorders.

The most common symptom of anemia is feeling tired and weak. As anemic blood is not carrying enough oxygen, it causes the heart to work harder to get enough oxygen to the body’s organs and tissues. There is a plethora of other symptoms. These include a smooth bright red tongue, pale or yellowish skin, low-grade fever, mental changes, nervous disorders, dizziness, shortness-of-breath, heart palpitations, tingling and numbness in hands and feet, giddiness, and digestive disorders.

As mild to moderate anemia may have no signs or symptoms, it may initially be hard to discover.

Anemia is usually diagnosed by a general practitioner by means of checks on your family and medical history, physical examinations, and diagnostic tests and procedures including a complete blood count (CBC).Depending on the symptoms and/or conditions, neurologists, cardiologists, hematologists and gastroenterologists may diagnose your condition.

Typical treatment for pernicious anemia is lifelong vitamin B12 injections. A lack of folic acid, however, can also cause anemia. Due to the lack of vitamin B12 and folic acid, the arteries of an anemic person are clogged with homocysteine as well. Without treatment, therefore, pernicious anemia can cause serious problems and can be fatal.

People with pernicious anemia also have an increased risk for developing stomach cancer and should be closely monitored by their health professionals.

The good news, and yes there is good news, is that you can not only prevent this condition, but also treat it naturally and without painful, expensive injections! A tiny sublingual tablet combining B12, B6 and Folic acid is now available to cleanse arteries as well as boost both mood and energy speedily as it dissolves directly into the blood stream! These three vital vitamins each work best when combined with the others.

Enjoy your health. It’s your most precious commodity. Remember, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

Disclaimer:

All material provided is for informational and educational purposes only, and is not to be construed as medical advice or instruction.

It is of utmost importance that you do your own due diligence. Consult with your physician or a qualified health professional on any matters regarding your health and well-being or regarding any findings expressed herein.

If you are taking any prescription medication, consult with your physician about possible side effects before taking any supplement

Ann Stewart, author, inspirational writer and wellness coach, shares tips on how to fight off disease and feel your best in her weekly newsletter, Youth Makeover here: http://youthmakeover.com

Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Pernicious Anemia

January 23, 2010
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You may have heard of people who have to get vitamin B12 shots because of a condition called pernicious anemia. What is this, how is it different from other anemia, and what are the symptoms?

Pernicious anemia is a deficiency of the B12 vitamin. Vitamins do not provide nutrition to the body on their own, rather they work with food or other elements in the body such as bacterias and enzymes to help the body work properly. Their absorption is also affected by other substances in the body, some that are already there, and some that people may ingest. In order to absorb vitamin B12, the body uses a substance called intrinsic factor, which is produced by the stomach. Some people’s bodies either do not produce intrinsic factor at all, or they do not produce enough to effectively process vitamin B12 taken through food sources (like milk) or oral supplements. Older people may suffer from pernicious anemia even if they did not have it earlier in life, because as we age, our bodies produce less intrinsic factor. Also, more women than men suffer from it. People with pernicious anemia have to receive B12 by injection, because this form does not require combination with intrinsic factor to be absorbed by the body. People can also suffer from B12 deficiency unrelated to intrinsic factor problems, and this is called macrocytic anemia. It can be caused by poor diet, alcoholism, or metabolic disorders.

Symptoms of pernicious anemia include fatigue, diarrhea, rapid heart rate, and shortness of breath. While these symptoms fit a large range of maladies, people with pernicious anemia may also exhibit the Babinski reflex. When you stroke the bottom of the foot, the big toe flexes up and the other toes fan out. It is a reflex present in newborns and usually disappears by the age of 2, as the nervous system matures. When the reflex exists in older people, it can be a sign of nerve damage. It can be inherited, and is rarely diagnosed until age 30. All anemia is characterized by lower than normal numbers of red blood cells. There are several different types of anemia with different causes. Common anemias you may be familiar with are anemia caused by iron deficiency, and sickle cell anemia, where red blood cells are sickle, or crescent moon shaped and can stick together, causing fatigue and other symptoms. In pernicious anemia, patients have a low red blood cell count, but the red blood cells they do have are abnormally large, and their white blood cells have abnormally large nuclei. Further tests for antibodies against intrinsic factor can be performed to make a diagnosis of pernicious anemia.

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