When someone is anaemic or is suffering from anaemia, they're basically low on healthy Red Blood Cells (RBCs) or haemoglobin that help carry oxygen to the body's tissues. It is associated with symptoms, such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness and shortness of breath and is primarily caused by nutrient deficiencies, inadequate absorption of nutrients, infections, or chronic diseases.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the condition is most prevalent in young children, menstruating adolescent girls and women, and pregnant and postpartum women. Statistically, the WHO estimates that 40% of children 6-59 months of age, 37% of pregnant women, and 30% of women aged 15-49 are anaemic, worldwide. In this article, we will discuss the two primary nutrient deficiencies that increase the risk of anaemia and ways to tackle them through diet.
What Is Iron Deficiency Anaemia?
Iron deficiency is considered to be the most common cause of anaemia, as per the WHO.
Iron deficiency anaemia is a type of anaemia that occurs when you do not have enough iron in your body. Without the presence of sufficient iron levels, your body doesn’t have enough iron to make haemoglobin, a substance in your RBC that allows them to carry oxygen throughout your body, explains Dr Joydeep Ghosh, Internal Medicine, Fortis Hospital, Anandapur, Kolkata.
Factors that can increase your risk of iron deficiency anaemia include excessive blood loss, problems absorbing iron from foods, and medical conditions like kidney or inflammatory diseases.
Warning Signs Of Iron Deficiency
Common signs of iron deficiency include:
- Feeling constantly tired and lacking energy
- A pale or "washed-out" appearance
- Brittle nails and hair loss
- Shortness of breath
- Cold hands and feet
The Link Between Vitamin B12 deficiency And Anaemia
Other than iron deficiency, low levels of vitamin B12, also known as cobalamin deficiency, can also lead to anaemia. It occurs when your body can't make enough healthy RBCs because it lacks vitamin B12.
Dr Pranjit Bhowmik, Director-Internal Medicine, Asian Hospital, Faridabad, says, “Certain vitamins like vitamin B12 and folic acid or vitamin 9 play an important role in many processes in your body including production of RBCs. When your body doesn’t produce enough of these vitamins, it fails to make normal red blood cells. These cells can’t carry oxygen to all of your body tissues and die more quickly than normal cells resulting in anaemia.”
Unfortunately, your body does not produce vitamin B12, which is why you must acquire it from the foods you eat.
Sometimes, apart from the insufficient B12-rich foods in your diet, lack of intrinsic factor, which the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, defines as a protein made in the stomach, which helps the body absorb vitamin B12, can also lead to vitamin B12 deficiency. According to the health body, people who have pernicious anaemia do not produce intrinsic factors, which makes it difficult to absorb enough vitamin B12 from the foods you eat.
In addition, lifestyle habits like drinking too much, certain medications, and pre-existing health conditions can also increase the risk of the deficiency.
Symptoms Associated With Low Vitamin B12 Levels
Common symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency include:
- Extreme tiredness and fatigue
- Nausea, vomiting or diarrhoea
- Change in appetite
- Unexplained weight loss
- A sore mouth or tongue
- Yellowish skin
- Numbness or tingling in your hands and feet
- Vision problems
- Difficulty in remembering things or getting confused easily
- Difficulty in walking or speaking
- Depressive symptoms
- Irritability
- Emotional changes
How To Get Optimum Levels Of Iron And Vitamin B12 From Foods
To increase your vitamin B12 levels, Dr Bhowmik recommends having foods rich in the vitamin, including meat, eggs and milk. In addition, you can have foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, including some nutritional yeast products and breakfast cereals.
“People who don’t eat sufficient amounts of foods rich in this vitamin may need to take B 12 supplements,” the doctor adds.
For those looking to increase their iron levels in the body, here are some iron-rich foods to add to your diet:
- Red meat like beef, lamb, and venison, which are excellent sources of heme iron
- Chicken, turkey, and fish like salmon and tuna
- Lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, and soybeans, excellent plant-based sources of iron
- Leafy green vegetables like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard
- Nuts and seeds like almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sesame seeds
Conclusion
Anaemia can be a result of several factors. However, nutrient deficiencies can be some silent causes of the condition. Therefore, it is important to prevent the development of anaemia by eating the right kind of foods. Iron deficiency anaemia and vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia are two of the most common nutritional deficiencies associated with the condition, which is why including more foods that are rich in these nutrients is of utmost importance.