Girlfriend is anemic.... Sugestions?

animalXXX

Member
Awards
0
Hey guys so my girl has been feeling bad for a while now and finally went to the doctor. Well turns out that she's anemic in part due to the fact that she's vegan. So what would you guys recomend for that? Is there any supps she can take that would help her out?
 
Jayhawkk

Jayhawkk

Legend
Awards
2
  • Established
  • Legend!
Vegetarians often have normal hemoglobin, but low iron stores (ferritin) in liver, muscles and bone marrow. Iron absorption is improved by including Vitamin C (75 mg per meal or about 6 oz orange juice) along with an iron supplement (as much as 50 mg per day) and high iron foods. The ferrous form of iron is more absorbable than ferric.

Unfortunately, iron supplements often cause constipation. To offset that side effect, make sure you eat sufficient fiber (11.5 grams per 1,000 calories consumed) and drink enough water.

Phytates and oxalates can interfere with iron absorption from the gut, but the research is not conclusive on this subject. Phytates are found in bran and whole grains. Oxalates are high in nut and nut butters, beets and beet greens, tea, strawberries, gelatin, rhubarb, spinach, chocolate and wheat bran. Most of these foods are the very substance of a vegetarian diet.

Iron in non-meat foods is called non-heme iron. Vegetarians should eat dark green leafy vegetables, broccoli, legumes, yeast leavened whole grain breads, iron-enriched pasta, rice and cereal and meat analogs which are high in iron. Unfortunately, the iron in these foods is not as absorbable as the iron in meat.

But foods rich in Vitamin C (papaya, orange, cantaloupe, broccoli, brussel sprouts, raw green peppers, grapefruit, strawberries, etc.) can be as effective as meat meals in improving iron absorption. Remember though sunlight and heat destroy that Vitamin C.
Found from Iron & Anemia - Ask the Dietitian
 
DeerDeer

DeerDeer

Registered User
Awards
1
  • Established
Hey guys so my girl has been feeling bad for a while now and finally went to the doctor. Well turns out that she's anemic in part due to the fact that she's vegan. So what would you guys recomend for that? Is there any supps she can take that would help her out?
I think you need to shed some more light on how she is diagnosed with anemia. THere are several causes - iron deficiency, chronic disease, vitamin deficiency.

It starts by checking to see if it is megaloblastic (big red blood cells), microcytic (small rbc's) or normocytic. That willdictate my further recommendationsif any once you tell us her hmoglobin and hematocrit along with her mcv (cell size) and alos a reticulocyte count - is she making enough cells?
 
Jayhawkk

Jayhawkk

Legend
Awards
2
  • Established
  • Legend!
Docs should of told him and gave him a way of correcting it. Well unless they have my doc that doesn't tell me ****.
 
DeerDeer

DeerDeer

Registered User
Awards
1
  • Established
Docs should of told him and gave him a way of correcting it. Well unless they have my doc that doesn't tell me ****.
I agree, a diagnosis of anemia merits an intervention or further evaluation in the least. Normocytic anemia is cause by acute blood loss most of the time...

THOUGH menstruating young females cna be anemic...
 

Similar threads


Top