What Is Anemia: Anemia may be defined as the deficiency of the blood as a whole. It may occur due to many reasons.

A person having a normal blood level may lose blood due to serious accident or illness. Our body compensates this loss by pouring in more fluid or plasma. But the red cells are not replaced so quickly. The person may have sufficient fluid in circulation, but the red cell count may be so low that he feels week and fatigued on doing slightest physical work. However slow bleeding from an ulcer in the stomach or intestine may also lead to anemia. If the loss of red cells is more as compare to its production it will definitely produce the signs and symptoms of anemia.

Anemia may also occur due to heavy menstrual bleeding. There are different types of anemia depending upon the different reasons.

Haemolytic anemia results due to weak red cells. In this type of anemia red cells are very sensitive and they are easily destroyed in the spleen.

In other types of anemia the red cells are not properly formed. Their shape becomes spherical or irregular. Then they cause trouble in the spleen, and ulcers may develop in the legs and there are changes in the bone also. In some types of anemia the hemoglobin may be defective in formation and it is not able to carry out its normal functions.

In sickle cell anemia the red cells are of sickle shape and this blocks their passage through the capillaries. These patients may also have jaundice and joint pains along with anemia.

In pernicious anemia the red blood cells may be larger in size than the normal, but fewer in number. Problem arises because the intrinsic factor, which is normally produced by the stomach, is not present to absorb the vitamin B 12 from the intestine.

Iron deficiency anemia occurs due to lower levels of the iron in the body, due to chronic blood loss, or due to poor diet. Iron may also be lost from the body due to chronic diarrhoea. Any patient with severe hookworm infection will also have some anemia. Iron may not be properly absorbed due to insufficient production of hydrochloric acid. Sometimes this occurs during pregnancy. It not affects the mother but also the baby. Babies who are fed on a milk diet for too long suffer from iron deficiency anemia.

The patient complains of weakness, easy fatigue, and irritability. Other symptoms may include heartburn, flatulence, abdominal pains, soreness in the mouth, numbness and tingling in the extremities and palpitation of the heart.

The skin and mucous membranes are pale, the nails are brittle, and there are fissures or sores at the corners of the mouth.

It is important to take a nutritious diet. Diet rich in cereals, rice, pastas, dairy products (milk, yogurt and cheese), vegetables and fruits, meat, poultry and fish, and finally dry beans, eggs, and nuts. Right diet helps to fight against any kind of disease.

• Coffee, tea and ingesting antacids, should be avoided because they decrease iron absorption. Sources rich in iron are lean beef, lean pork, skinned poultry, shellfish, fish, liver, organ meats, egg yolks, pinto, kidney, lima, navy, chick peas, black-eyed peas, lentils, split peas, green peas, spinach, kale, collards, beet greens, chard, broccoli, raisins, prunes, figs, dates, dried peaches, dried apricots, nuts, peanut butter, whole grain breads.
• Licavoli says that when you use a cast-iron skillet instead of Teflon coated or aluminum one, you increase the iron content of foods, particularly when you cook acidic foods like tomato sauce.
• An effective home remedy for anemia is - Take 1 Cup beetroot juice, 1 cup of apple juice, mixed with either sugar or honey once a day.
• To help prevent iron-deficiency anemia in infants, all doctors should recommend breastfeeding, according to Los Angeles pediatrician Paul M. Fleiss, M.D., a pediatrician, lecturer at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health and assistant clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Southern California School of Medicine. ''Breast milk supplies almost all the nutrients your baby needs,'' he says.
• Take a ripe banana with 1 tbsp of honey 2 times a day for anemia treatment. One of the useful home remedies for anemia.
• Our body absorbs iron from meats easier than fruits and vegetables. To increase the absorption of iron from fruits and vegetables, eat them with a good source of vitamin C.
• Soak 10 currants overnight. Remove seeds and take it for 3-4 weeks in the morning This is very effective home remedy for anemia.
• A mixture of apple and tomato juice also helps to fight against the anemia.
• Eating a lot of salad also helps to prevent anemia.
• Honey is very good for an anemic person because it helps increase the hemoglobin in the blood. It is rich in iron, copper and manganese.
• Intake of vitamin C is very important for the absorption of iron. It is recommended to take two any citrus fruits daily.
• Beets are very important in the cure of anemia. Its juice contains potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulphur, iodine, iron, copper, carbohydrates, protein, fat, and vitamins B1, B2, B6, C and P.
• A cold-water bath is an easy method in curing anemia. Two baths are recommended daily. Sunbaths are also beneficial as sunlight stimulates the production of red cells.
• 3-4 dried figs are recommended a day to prevent anemia. This is one of the useful home remedies for anemia.
• Deep breathing and light exercise like walking also helps in increasing the red blood cell in the body and thus treats the
  anemia.
• Various yoga asanas like sarvangasana, paschomittanasana, uttanpadasana and shavasana are also beneficial

• Do not eat spinach, rhubarb, tomatoes, or chocolate. These foods are high in oxalic acid, a substance that decreases the ability of our body to absorb iron. other iron blockers are sodas, dairy products, coffee and black tea. Avoid cow's milk, which can cause hidden bleeding in the intestinal tract. Do not follow fad diets.

Vitamin B-12 is also essential in hemoglobin production.

Normally, a chemical secreted by the stomach helps the body absorbs this vitamin. However, some people can't readily absorb B-12.

The result is B-12 deficiency (pernicious anemia). Because the symptoms develop gradually this condition may not be immediately recognized.

Those with thyroid disease or diabetes mellitus are at increased risk for this type of anemia.

The condition occurs most often in 40- to 80-year-old northern Europeans with fair skin.

A lack of folic acid, another one of the B vitamins, can also lead to anemia.

Folic acid deficiency is a particular problem for people that drink alcohol regularly.

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Foods that contain B12

Mollusks, clam, mixed species, cooked, 3 ounces 84.1

Liver, beef, braised, 1 slice 47.9

Calves liver, 4 oz. 41.39

Fortified breakfast cereals, (100% fortified), ¾ cup 6.0

Trout, rainbow, wild, cooked, 3 ounces 5.4

Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 3 ounces 4.9

Trout, rainbow, farmed, cooked, 3 ounces 4.2

Beef, top sirloin, lean, choice, broiled, 3 ounces 2.4

These are just the foods with significant amounts of B12, as well as a few for referance that are not very high in B12

See the whole list Here

Note: The unit of measurement used in the list is a microgram.

An indication of low vitamin B12

One indication that you might be significantly low on vitamin B12 is the appearance of lines or ridges on your fingernails, and the disappearance of the moons at the bottoms of your fingernails.

There are many common things, not to mention stress, which reduce the amount of B12 you get from your food. Some of these things also deplete the B12 you have stored in your body. (For your body to work properly you need B12 in all of your muscle tissue, according to the neurologist I was seeing when my B12 problem was first diagnosed.)

There are two forms of Vitamin B12 commonly available. It's a good idea to learn to distinguish between them, since one form, Methylcobalamin, is the active form of B12 and acts both more quickly and more efficiently. You will be able to find this at your health food store. Be sure to buy Methylcobalamin -- it gives far better results than the form which is simply labeled "B12".

Because there is so little B12 in foods, (there's more than enough if you aren't under a lot of stress, I don't want to give the wrong impression) I'm going to talk about the amount to take.

1,000 mcg (micrograms) is the same as 1mg. Dissolving a 1mg Methylcobalamin lozenge under your tongue every day for a month is the same as having a B12 shot a month.

A 5mg Methylcobalamin lozenge dissolved under your tongue every day for a month will equal 5 B12 shots a month.

Let me give you an idea of how much B12 is generally prescribed by doctors: the therapy typically begins with a shot a day for a week or two, followed by a shot every week for a few weeks, after which there is a shot a month, generally for life, for "maintenance."

To equal a shot a day, you would need to dissolve 30 mg a day of Methylcobalamin lozenges under your tongue. That would be 6 of the 5 mg lozenges a day.

To equal ten shots every two weeks, you would need to dissolve 4 of the 5mg Methylcobalamin lozenges under your tongue every day for a month.

Just to be clear, it appears that once there is a B12 deficiency, the amount of B12 needed to recover is not available from food.

It was when I was having a shot a day that my peripheral neuropathy began to go away.

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