Iron deficiency anemia belongs to a branch of medicine called endocrinology and is treated accordingly by an endocrinologist. This condition is characterized by a decrease in the level of hemoglobin in the blood. Hemoglobin is found in red blood cells and is a compound made up of a protein called globin and an iron-containing substance called heme . Deficiency of iron in the blood is a serious condition that affects the general state of human health, therefore, nutrition for iron deficiency anemia should be special, containing foods that help to naturally restore the iron content in the body. Nutrition with iron deficiency anemia is also designed to actively restore the process of hematopoiesis.
Iron deficiency anemia can develop for a variety of reasons. For example, with chronic bleeding (patients with hemophilia may experience this kind of anemia). In addition, a lack of iron can be triggered by a small amount of folacin , B vitamins (especially B12), and some proteins in food. Infants who are bottle-fed may develop signs of anemicity due to the same milk diet. Therefore, nutrition with iron deficiency anemia should be balanced, and include an increased amount of those foods that contain a large amount of substances the body needs.
Substances that help assimilate iron
Iron deficiency can be observed in people with chronic infectious diseases, in people who are constantly intoxicated (for example, alcohol abusers), in people with helminthic invasions, in patients suffering from gastritis with low acidity, enterocolitis, enteritis, Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Anemia can be caused by surgery on the intestines or stomach. Therapeutic nutrition for iron deficiency anemia should include a large amount of protein. Everyone over the age of 13 should consume about 100 grams of protein per day. With iron deficiency anemia, the dose can be increased to 120 grams. In this case, you need to ensure that the protein is easily digestible. Meals for iron deficiency anemia should consist of protein omelets, low-fat cottage cheese, seafood (mussels, shrimp, squid), lean meat and chicken. The liver contains a large amount of protein.
Protein is so important due to the fact that it directly affects the absorption of iron by the body, on hematopoiesis, and participates in the formation of hemoglobin compounds. Food for iron deficiency anemia should be structured so that fat is absorbed in half as much as usual, since fats negatively affect blood formation. Due to fatty varieties of fish and meat, the amount of fat should be reduced to 70-75 grams. The carbohydrate content should remain the same – 400-450 grams. The diet should include those foods that are rich in B vitamins and vitamin C. If the degree of anemia is high, then you can additionally take vitamin and mineral complexes.
Foods that affect iron absorption
When drawing up a therapeutic diet, it should be borne in mind that the body cannot always assimilate the iron in foods. It is best to digest juices with pulp, fruits, berries, and meat products. About 5% of iron can be obtained by the body through the digestion of dairy products and grains, 10% from legumes, vegetables and fruits, 15% from fish, and 30% of iron is absorbed from meat. The highest iron content is found in foods such as beef tongue, pork and beef liver, turkey and rabbit meat. In addition, blueberries, peaches, sturgeon caviar, buckwheat, barley, oat groats and millet have a high content of the required substance.
Phosphates, phytins and oxalic acid prevent the absorption of iron. It is found in grains and legumes. The main thing in a diet for iron deficiency anemia is food compatibility . For example, the absorption of iron doubles if you drink fresh juice with meat or fish in one meal. But if you eat meat with eggs, the absorption of iron will fall. The combination of meat and dairy products does not harm the absorption of iron. And one more thing – the absorption of iron suppresses strong tea, therefore it is better to refuse it at all during the treatment.