Helping Anemia Naturally

What to Do if You Have Anemia

If your doctor says you're anemic (also known as anaemic), there's generally nothing to worry about because it's not a life-threatening disease.  But it can rob you of quality of life, and the way things are looking at the moment, quality of life is hard to come by these days.  Health do's and don'ts abound, you're confused as to what supplements to take, and you're no longer sure what vitamin and minerals are good for certain conditions.

What is Anemia?

The Mayo Clinic describes an anemic person as someone who has "tired blood."  There aren't enough healthy red blood cells that transport oxygen to various tissues and organs.  Symptoms vary from mild to severe.  If your anemia is severe, you ought to take the steps leading to better health.

CBC stands for complete blood count.  It's one of the ways to test for anemia.  A physical exam and certain blood tests are two other ways to test for this condition.  If your diagnosis is iron-deficiency anaemia, your doctor may order additional tests just to make sure you don't have an underlying condition like internal bleeding or benign polyps in the colon.

The College of Family Physicians in Canada say that in some cases, there are no symptoms and energy levels don't change.  Other people may feel chronic fatigue, have pale skin, experience shortness of breath, and feel rapid beating of the heart.

Are there ways to prevent anemia?  Fortunately, there are.  The word "iron" and "hemoglobin" should be your guiding principles.  Hemoglobin is the protein in blood that carries oxygen.  So an effective way to prevent anaemic symptoms is to load up on iron.  Eat foods that are high in iron:  liver, sardines, nuts, dried fruits, beans (lima beans are highly recommended) and greens.

There's a strange word that relates to anemia - "megaloblastic."  Don't worry, it sounds like your cells may have gone ballistic, but it's just a type of anemia that is caused by a deficiency of vitamin B12.  Vitamin B12 is essential for the proper functioning of red blood cells and for stabilizing the central nervous system.  Unique B12 is an American made sublingual B12 supplement that many have found helpful. Hemo-Chelate-Iron is another very good supplement you can take that provides essential nutrients and iron.