Anemia : Overview, Symptoms, Causes, Types, and Dietary Guidelines

Foods To Eat and To Avoid

A person who is suffering from anemia should encourage the intake of foods that have a high amount of iron. Dietary changes are the very first practice that doctors use to treat iron-deficiency anemia. Along with iron, the consumption of foods rich in vitamins and folate should also be encouraged. Vitamin B12 and folate helps in the synthesis of iron and hemoglobin. Iron is of two types heme and nonheme iron. The iron that comes from animal food sources such as meat, poultry, and chicken is heme iron, whereas that comes from plant origin, i.e., from fruits and vegetables is nonheme iron. Heme iron absorbs quickly in the human body than nonheme iron.

Some foods boost the absorption of iron in the body, so we should add these foods in our daily life to increase the level of iron in the body by its effective absorption. Some foods suppress iron absorption in the body, such as tea and coffee. Here is the list of foods to eat for an anemic patient:

Foods to eat

A person should make dietary changes to fight anemia. Iron levels can be increased by adding the following food sources in the diet of an anemic patient.

Dark leafy greens:

Dark leafy green vegetables are good sources of iron. These include swiss chard, kale, spinach, collard, broccoli, and dandelion greens. Consumption of these iron-rich foods can improve the levels of iron in the body. Some leafy green vegetables are also good sources of folate. As we know that folate helps in the synthesis of hemoglobin, so taking folate-rich food sources can also help for anemic patients.