Anaemia – Natural Iron Builders

The most common type of anaemia is iron deficiency anaemia. This is a condition where low iron in the body causes a reduction in the number of red blood cells. Most people with this type of anaemia, will usually only have a few symptoms. The severity of symptoms depends essentially on how quickly the anaemia develops.

There are many causes that can lead to a lack of iron in the body, such as internal bleeding, certain medications and heavy periods. The most common symptoms are – fatigue, a pale complexion, shortness of breath and heart palpitations. Some other unusual signs may be a red shiny tongue, brittle nails with longitudinal ridges or slightly concave nails.
The best way to check for anaemia is to have a blood test arranged by your doctor. If your iron is low,  then the best thing to do is eat food that has iron and/or take an iron supplement. Once iron levels are in a healthy range, this can be maintained by eating iron-rich foods.

Foods high in Iron

Choose foods such as

• Dried fruit like prunes, raisins and dates   
• Dark leafy green vegetables like kale, and spinach
• Legumes like lentils, chickpeas and kidney beans
• Seaweed
• Parsley
• Blackstrap molasses
• Red meat

Also add some vitamin c rich foods to your meal to increase the absorption of iron – such as raw capsicum or lemon juice. Or eat vitamin c rich fruit for dessert:- such as kiwi fruit, guava, strawberries, papaya and citrus. Avoid drinking tea or coffee half an hour before a meal or one hour after a meal.

Natural Iron Builders

Here are some ideas for iron building smoothies…

Spinach and Carrot

Ingredients: (for 2 servings)    
1 handful spinach
1 apple
1 carrot
2 glasses of water
Method: Blend together and drink. Can also add stinging nettle tincture (20 drops or as stated on label) for an extra boost.

Prune and Orange

Ingredients: (for 1 serving)
1 glass fresh orange juice
6 prunes (stones removed)
Method:  Blend together and drink.

Grapefruit and Apricot

Ingredients: (for 1 serving)      
5 dried apricots
1 glass fresh grapefruit juice
Honey or blackstrap molasses to taste
Method: Blend together and drink.