Anemia And The Food We Eat

Our diet can play a very prominent role in the chances of us contracting anemia, which is a very serious health condition whereby the capability of the blood to transport oxygen around the body to the various cells contained within it is severely compromised and limited.  Although in the initial stages, anemia can be so mild that it does not even manifest itself in any sort of external symptoms, if it is left unchecked and untreated, it can eventually develop into a full blown problem that will place a significant amount of strain on our body and in particular, our heart.

Anemia and diet

The main cause of anemia is a lack of sufficient iron in the body, and sometimes, people may already be suffering from a health condition that limits their body’s ability to actually absorb the mineral iron from the food that they consume effectively. The same result can also be achieved by virtue of certain types of medication.

It should also be noted that there are two main types of iron, iron which is derived from animal or meat sources which are referred to as heme sources, and plant derived iron, non-heme iron.

For a variety of different reasons, our body will find it far easier to absorb and extract iron from heme sources as opposed to non-heme sources and so it is for this reason then that strict vegetarians are at a much higher risk of actually developing the disorder.

However, a word of caution must be issued in regards to the consumption of red meat, which itself is rich in iron. There has been a plethora of scientific studies that has quite clearly demonstrated compelling evidence that indicates a strong correlation between the incidence of bowel cancer, stroke and heart disease and excessive consumption of red meat. This is due to the high level of saturated fats in red meat.

Therefore, ensuring that you derive your iron from both heme and non heme sources is essential.

So called “white” or lean meats, such as chicken and fish are far better sources of iron as they will ensure that the dieter does not incur the risks.