Sickle cell is an inherited type of anemia that results in abnormal red blood cells. These abnormal red blood cells are not able to carry oxygen to the body's tissues because they are rigid, sticky and shaped like crescent moons instead of being round and bouncy like normal red blood cells. These crescent-shaped cells can be dangerous as they can sometimes get stuck in the body's small blood vessels, decreasing the flow of blood, and thus, oxygen to the rest of the body. Adequate nutrition can help decrease the pain that is related to sickle cell anemia and help to prevent further complications.
Signs and Symptoms
Signs and symptoms of sickle cell anemia include a low level of hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries the oxygen molecules, periodic episodes of severe pain, which occur when the cells stick to the different blood vessels, and hand and foot syndrome, which happens when your hands and feeds are swollen from blocked blood vessels. Other symptoms include jaundice, which occurs due to an overwhelmed liver that has to process the rapid breakdown of red blood cells, and frequent infections that occur because the crescent-shaped cells can cause damage to the spleen.
What to Eat
If you suffer from sickle-cell anemia, it is very important for you to maintain a healthy weight, and prevent unwanted weight loss. For this, you should eat plenty of whole milk and milk products, plenty of protein-rich foods, such as meats, poultry, fish, beans and eggs, plenty of nuts and seeds, healthy oils, such as canola oil and olive oil, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. A great tip to increase calories in fruits and vegetables is to add cream cheese, butter, oil or salad dressing to your vegetables, or peanut butter to your fruits.
What to Avoid
In general, you should avoid foods that will provide no nutrients of calories. Your body is processing a lot of nutrients because it has to be constantly healing itself, so eating foods that are empty in minerals, vitamins and nutrients is not a good idea. These include foods that are "light" or " diet," which usually have low calorie and protein counts and little nutrient value. Additionally, you should avoid beverages that have no calories and only fill you up, which can cause you to lose your appetite for whole foods. These include beverages like coffee, tea or diet or sugar-free drinks.
Other Nutrition Guidelines
Try to eat more meals throughout the day instead of eating once or twice only. If you notice that you are losing weight, even when actively trying not to, you might want to talk to your doctor about taking a calorie or protein supplement between meals. Talk to your doctor also about taking a daily multivitamin, as these can help you maintain your vitamin and mineral stores.
