How to beat ANAEMIA Old Style ?

Molly41

I have an ongoing problem with very severe anaemia. I know what causes it and the remedy is to have a blood transfusion. Now i have developed some odd antibodies so it is becoming increasingly difficult to match my blood - now weeks instead of hours:eek:

I have to eat iron rich foods and am sick to death of red meat and fortified breakfast cereals. On another thread I read that Curry is rich in iron and wondered if you wise guys had any other suggestions?

Im more vegetarian really but eat red meat for medicinal purposes:(
I also like pulses but they dont like me:o
I have to eat at lunchtime so the food has to be easy to prepare - think ready meal easy as Im disabled. Husband will prepare meals at weekends though - but has to be simple;)
I take vitamin c with my meals to aid iron absorption but juices give me heartburn:mad:

Many thanks :T

rachbc

leafy green veg, dried apricots and raisins and accompany meals with a source of vit c to aid the absorption. Avoid tea and coffee with/ near meals as this impedes absorption

got-it-spend-it

Poor you Molly , that sounds miserable.

I am trying to eat a high iron diet at the moment as I am pregnant and this has made me slightly anaemic. I don't eat meat, so have been having a look at veggie things that are quite high in iron.

I have found that pumpkin seeds are good, and easy to incorporate into the diet as you can just snack on them. Dried fruits like figs, apricots and prunes are also good so I make cereal bar/flapjack type things with these and the seeds in.

My midwife told me that Ready Brek is one of the best sources of iron so you could also include this in the cereal bars or in something like twinks hobnobs.

I also make lots of soups with red lentils in, as lentils are a good, cheap source. Broccoli is also good is you can include that in the soup too. Another veg that came out as being quite high is soya beans (you can buy frozen from most supermarkets) so I try and have these with peas as a side dish.

Finally, and I'm sure you know this, but iron (particularly from non-meat sources) is most easily absorbed when taken with vitamin C, so I try and have a small glass of OJ with my iron-rich snacks.

Hope I haven't just pointed out the obvious, but wanted to share the things I am trying at the moment .

babyshoes

Can you not take iron supplements, or do you not want to for some reason? I know the tablets can cause nausea for some people, but I have previously used a liquid version which claims to be gentler on the stomach. I certainly didn't have any issues with it, and I have IBS so am usually quite sensitive to such things. It is expensive but may be worth asking your doc about a prescription to see if it helps.

Otherwise, liver is very high in iron, if you can handle it. I don't usually eat liver, but occasionally have a craving for it, which is usually a sign that I am on the verge of becoming anaemic to the point that I will need a supplement.

A quick google for 'iron rich foods' brings up a lot of information. Here is a list of the top 10 foods, with several things on it that I hadn't considered : http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/food-sources-of-iron.php

Not sure how reliable it is as a source, but if you compare several such lists you should find foods which are on all of them, and then try to eat those. Also, your doctor should be able to either give you this information himself or refer you to a dietician who will certainly be able to give you advice about what to eat, without having to gorge yourself on things you don't like!

Good luck! I know how down I get with even mild anaemia, it must be awful to have it severely!

VfM4meplse

Bless you Molly.

I hate to state the obvious, but have non-dietary causes been ruled out?

Essex-girl_2

Hiya

I get slightly anaemic everynow and then and try to sort it though diet.

Don't think my way of doing it will be very popular though - I have black pudding :eek: and have a couple of steaks - not all at the same time though seems to get me back on track.

I have heard that balti curry's are good as they absorb iron from the balti pot.

lily117

Have you tried the sachets of Spatone water?

luxor4t

Do you like Marmite? it helps speed up the absorbtion of iron. I was advised to eat it on brown bread when I was pregnant. Fortunately I love it, which is more than I can say about the liver that was also 'prescribed'.
I made the liver into faggots from my mum's old recipe and choked them down with baked beans :o:o Blimey, DS2 has a lot to answer for!

Bettie

got-it-spend-it wrote: »

Poor you Molly , that sounds miserable.

I am trying to eat a high iron diet at the moment as I am pregnant and this has made me slightly anaemic. I don't eat meat, so have been having a look at veggie things that are quite high in iron.

I have found that pumpkin seeds are good, and easy to incorporate into the diet as you can just snack on them. Dried fruits like figs, apricots and prunes are also good so I make cereal bar/flapjack type things with these and the seeds in.
.

When I had my first child 35 years ago I was a meat eater and strangely enough always low in iron. I gave up meat 30 years ago and with my 2nd I was vegetarian and my iron levels were always good. 20 years on I am now low and have just gone on prescription. I don't know why I am so low as diet remains the same except I am also low in Vit D as work indoors and rarely go in the sun. I wonder if there is a connection?
My doctor thinks it will take months to get back up to normal and there is no quick fix with diet or tablets.
I too make a flapjack type thing with oats sultanas soaked in orange juice mixed dried fruit peanut butter and banana, some sugar and butter sub. I shall add chopped apricots next time and pumpkin seeds.

Bitsy_Beans

I have to say Molly if its a medical condition causing it I suspect you won't be able to top up the iron tank fast enough to have any benefit. I certainly couldn't when I had severe anaemia thanks to horrendous AF until the medical issue causing it can be rectified (if at all) you will constantly be playing catch up.

The spa tone sachets are quite often on offer and supposed to be more gentle than iron tablets.

moggymutt

Hi Molly, I just take both Iron tablets and B100 tablets as a precaution because one of the meds that I am on can cause both anaemia and pernicious anaemia. I get my own from the health shop because I am vegan.

Betty, if you've got low vit D then watch your calcium levels. I had low calcium levels despite taking calcium (with magnesium). After a consultant prescribed me a high 3 day course of vit D, (plus I had to go strictly gluten free), calcium levels back to normal. I now just take a maintenance dose of vit D daily.

Bitsybee, I know what you mean about causes of deficiency. Me taking D vits for calcium only works if I strictly avoid gluten because I have such a strong intolerance to it.