HERBAL REMEDIES FOR ANEMIA

Anemia can be described as a decrease in your blood cell count, and/or decreased hemoglobin content in the blood. The red blood cells are the agents responsible, for carrying oxygen to the cells through the hemoglobin, a lower amount would imply low oxygen in all your body's tissues, and if you are pregnant your baby equally gets less oxygen. Anemia can be caused by loss of blood, which means that insufficient red cells are being produced, or that too many red cells are being killed off. Herbal remedies for anemia are a great solution.

There are several medical conditions that caused anemia. The common causes of anemia include the following:

Anemia from active bleeding:  Blood loss through heavy menstrual bleeding or, wounds can cause anemia. Gastrointestinal ulcers or cancers like cancer of the colon may gradually ooze blood and can also lead to anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia: The bone marrow requires iron to make red blood cells. Iron plays a key role in the appropriate structure of the hemoglobin molecule. If iron intake is inadequate as a result of poor dietary intake, anemia may occur. This is known as iron deficiency anemia.  Iron deficiency like cancer of the colon may gradually ooze blood and can also lead to anemia.

Iron deficiency anemia: The bone marrow requires iron to make red blood cells. Iron plays a key role in the appropriate structure of the hemoglobin molecule. If iron intake is inadequate as a result of poor dietary intake, anemia may occur. This is known as iron deficiency anemia.  Iron deficiency anemia can also crop up when there are stomach ulcers or other sources of slow, chronic bleeding such as colon cancer, uterine cancer, intestinal polyps, hemorrhoids, etc. In these kinds of conditions, because of continuing, chronic slow blood loss, iron is also lost from the body (as a part of blood) at an advanced rate than normal and can lead to iron deficiency anemia.

Symptoms of anemia may include the following:

Since a low red blood cell count decreases oxygen delivery to each tissue in the body, anemia may cause a multiplicity of signs and symptoms. It can also make nearly any other underlying medical condition worse. If anemia is mild, it may not cause any symptoms. If anemia is slowly continuing -chronic- the body may adjust and balance for the change; in this situation, there may not be any symptoms until the anemia becomes harsher.

* Fatigue

* Decreased energy

* Weakness

*Shortness of breath

* Lightheadedness

*Palpitations (feeling of the heart beating irregularly)

*Looking pale

It is essential to get the accurate nutrients into the body. Eating a diet high in cereals, rice, pasta, dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese), vegetables and fruits, meat, poultry and fish, and lastly dry beans, eggs, and nuts.  This has been proven to help enhance the immune system.

Ensure you are eating a plethora of iron-rich food, like liver, green leafy vegetable, beets, dried fruits, bran flake, oysters, brown rice, lentils and molasses, raisins, prunes; bread and pasta made from whole grain flour.

Generally, anemia is due to iron deficiency, but also can be caused as a result of not getting enough Vitamin B12; B6; Folic acid; and copper in your system. During your pregnancy blood counts will be carried out, that will help to know what vitamins or nutrients you are lacking. Just taking Iron supplements may not be the necessary answer, that's why it's essential to seek out the actual cause of Anemia from a blood test.

There is an additional type of Anemia called "Pica". In this type of Anemia, you may have unusual cravings, in which you will want to eat substances other than food, such as, coal, dirt, starch or hair; this kind of Anemia is typically the sign of a nutritional deficiency.

Herbal Remedies

1. It's very important to get the proper nutrients into the body. Eating a diet rich in cereals, rice, pasta, dairy products (milk, yogurt, and cheese), vegetables and fruits, meat, poultry and fish, and finally dry beans, eggs, and nuts. This has been proven to help boost the immune system.

2. Almonds contain copper to the extent of 1.15 mg per 100 gm. The copper along with iron and vitamins acts as a catalyst in the synthesis of hemoglobin. Almonds are, therefore, a useful remedy for anemia. Seven almonds should be soaked in water for about two hours and ground into a paste after removing the thin red skin. This paste may be eaten once a day preferably in the morning for three months.

3. Ensure that you are eating much of iron-rich food, like liver, dried fruits, bran flake, oysters, green leafy vegetable, beets, brown rice, lentils, raisins, prunes, and molasses, bread and pasta made from whole grain flour.

4. Steer clear of drinking coffee, tea and ingesting antacids, because they lessen iron absorption.

5. Endeavor to cook in iron pots; it is proven that doing this can significantly increase the amount of iron in your foods.

6. During your pregnancy, it's essential to take the proper vitamins that will assist you and your baby to be healthy.

7. Diet is of extreme importance in the treatment of anemia. Refined foods such as polished rice, sugar, white bread, and desserts deprive the body of its much-needed iron. Iron should better use in its natural organic form in food. The importance in the diet is because of natural vegetables and fresh fruits which are loaded in iron. Avoid with junk foods, particularly fried foods as they are foods that rich in calories but very poor in their nutritional value. Bakery products too are enormously unhealthy as they are full of plenty of processed fats, sugars, and flour. Substitute regular polished rice with unpolished rice as far as you can.

8. In addition take an organic form of Iron (amino acid chelate): 100 mg of elemental Iron daily (Iron aspararte, citrate or picolinate), not the poorly absorbed sulfate which may cause constipation or stomachache. Vitamin C (500 mg), it is recommended to be taken with iron for better assimilation. Folic acid supplement, with Vitamin B6 and B12, should be used to put off anemia.

Equally herbs can help your body to maintain a good level of iron, such as  1/2 to 1 tsp. of the tincture of Yellow dock root three times per day, or 1/2 to 1 tsp. of extract of Dandelion leaf and or root or two capsules two times each  day, or have Dandelion greens in your salads.

10. Manganese is useful for protein and fat metabolism, healthy nerves, immune system and blood sugar regulation. Manganese is essential for people with iron deficiency anemia. Manganese deficiencies may give rise to atherosclerosis, confusion, eye problems, hearing problems, heart disorders, high cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, damage to the pancreas, rapid pulse, tooth-grinding, loss of memory, tremors, and a predisposition to breast ailments.

11. Diet and regular breathing exercises are the two main essentials in the treatment of anemia. Deep breathing exercises, like those recommended in yoga, and regular light exercises for example walking and swimming help to regularize the breathing and therefore use the lungs to their full capacity, increasing the flow of oxygen in the body. The iron deficiency which is a common feature of anemia should be made up as far as possible by eating iron in the natural form present in organic food. You should pay attention to a diet of fresh fruits and vegetables rich in iron content and run away from processed foods, for instance, polished rice, white flour, sugar and desserts which deprive the body of vital iron. Beets are not only a rich source of iron, they also have potassium, phosphorus, calcium, sulfur, proteins and vitamins B1, B2, B6 and vitamin P which are all valuable in increasing body resistance by improving the immune system and increasing the hemoglobin count in the blood. You can take 1 cup of fresh beetroot juice in a day for best results. Lettuce is another rich supply of iron, which can be easily assimilated by the body; hence you should increase your intake of lettuce in your salad preparations. One more leafy vegetable that is rich in iron content is spinach which is highly good for the build-up of hemoglobin and red blood cells. Soybean is as well rich in iron content but it can be difficult to digest so you should take it in the form of milk. Black sesame seeds, another rich source of iron, can be soaked for a few hours in warm water, ground, strained and mixed with 1 cup of warm milk with honey or jaggery to enhance the taste and eaten two times in a day.

12. Soya bean is rich in iron and equally has a high protein value. As most anemic patients commonly suffer from a weak digestion, it should be administered to them in a very light form, if possible in the form of milk, which can be easily digested.

Excerpt From: Spencer Garret. “Alchemy of Herbal Medicine.” iBooks. 2017