Continued From Last Week
Lack of Iron. Anaemia caused by a lack of adequate iron in a person’s diet is a very common problem. A lack of iron in the body causes anaemia because red blood cells, as I indicated earlier, are made in the bone marrow and circulate in the blood. And also, they only have a life expectancy of about four months. The body needs iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid (one of the B group of vitamins) to produce more red blood cells. If there is a lack of one or more of these nutrients, anaemia will develop.

Iron Deficiency Anaemia
Iron deficiency anaemia is considered to the most common form of anaemia and tends to affect women more than men.

Iron deficiency anaemia is more frequent in women who smoke, eat a diet low in iron and have heavy menstrual periods. It is also common in vegetarians.

Symptoms of iron deficiency anaemia in women, children and infants are more noticeable than symptoms in men. The lower levels of iron in a person’s body result in lower levels of haemoglobin as it contains iron.

Haemoglobin is extremely important as it transports oxygen from the lungs to various parts of the body.

The only people who suffer from anaemia often experience cold extremities. In recent years, the increasing incidence of obesity and unhealthy eating habits has been considered to be one of the main causes of iron deficiency anaemia in men.

The availability of junk food coupled with increased snacking, bingeing, and other unhealthy eating habits have also been linked to several nutritional deficiencies in children and adolescents.

If a child is suspected of suffering from anaemia, or if he/she had been diagnosed as having iron deficiency anaemia, it would be necessary to consult the services of nutrionist/dietitian in order to work out the quantity of iron rich foods to be included in the child’s diet to help treat this condition. Iron deficiency anaemia is a temporary condition and dietary changes are generally sufficient to treat and prevent the condition.

Causes Of Iron Deficiency Anaemia
•Most childhood cases are caused by a poor diet that contains insufficient amounts of iron.

In adults, the most common cause is losing blood faster than the body can replace it.

•a lack of iron in the diet is common in vegans and vegetarians because a major dietary source is red meat, liver and kidney.

•babies can develop iron deficiency anaemia, especially if they are premature. Storing iron is not usually completed until the final stages of pregnancy.

•the body needs more iron when a large amount of cell divisions occur, such as in pregnancy, and during periods of rapid childhood growth.

•loss of blood through heavy menstruation can deplete iron stores.

•diseases of the small intestine, such as gluten intolerance and inflammation of the intestine, can reduce its ability to absorb iron.

•less commonly, small ruptures in the intestine due to cancer or small growths, and ulcers in the stomach and small intestine can cause iron deficiency anaemia.

The loss of blood from the digestive tract may be so slight as to be detected on its own.

Symptoms Of Iron Deficiency Anaemia
If a person is otherwise health, it can take some time for the signs of anaemia to appear. The first sign will be:
•tiredness and palpitations.

•shortness of breath and dizziness are also common.

•if the anaemia is severe, the individual may experience angina (sharp chest pain), headache or leg pains.

Besides these general symptoms of anaemia, in pronounced and long-term cases of iron deficiency, there may be:

•burning sensation in the tongue.

•dryness in the mouth and throat.

•sores at the corners of the mouth.

Soybean is rich in iron and also has a high protein value. As most anaemic patients usually also suffer from a weak digestion, it should be given to them in a very light form preferably in the form of milk which can be easily digested.

Prevention Of Anaemia
In preventing future occurrence of anaemia, it is essential to note the following:

•eat a varied, well-balanced diet that contains foods from all the food groups (protein, carbohydrate, fat, fruit, and vegetables).

•good sources of iron include liver, beef, whole meal bread, whole meal cereals, eggs and dried fruit.

•if you often get heavy menstrual periods, it’s a good idea to seek medical advice because you may be at risk of anaemia.

•if you are pregnant or planning to become pregnant, talk to your doctor about iron supplements.
Concluded