A variety of health conditions, including chronic malabsorption of certain important nutrients, can cause anemia, or a low count of healthy red blood cells. Consult your doctor if you suspect you may be anemic. Blood tests can help diagnose common types of anemia due to nutritional deficiencies.
Relevant Nutrients
Several B vitamins, including folate, vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6 participate in the production of red blood cells. The body also needs iron, an essential mineral, to produce hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen throughout the body. Food sources of folate include green, leafy vegetables, citrus fruits and legumes. Food sources of vitamin B-12 include meats, poultry, seafood and other animal products. Iron occurs naturally in most animal-based foods as well as legumes, tofu, soybeans and spinach; and vitamin B-6 occurs naturally in legumes, meats, poultry, fish, and some fruits and vegetables. Fortified breakfast cereals often contain added folic acid, the synthetic form of folate, as well as iron, vitamin B-12 and vitamin B-6.
Malabsorption Causes
The body absorbs only a small percentage of vitamin B-12 and iron from foods and supplements, and a variety of conditions can hinder absorption. Food components such as calcium, soy protein, tea, coffee, phytates and polyphenols can hinder the absorption of iron from plant sources. Atrophic gastritis, pernicious anemia and gastrointestinal surgery can hinder vitamin B-12 absorption. Gastrointestinal disorders such as celiac disease and Crohn's disease can interfere with the body's absorption of many nutrients, including vitamin b-12, iron, folate and vitamin B-6. Chronic alcohol abuse can interfere with absorption of vitamin B-6 and folate.
Anemia Symptoms
Common symptoms of anemia include fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath, loss of appetite, constipation, diarrhea, sore tongue, pale skin and difficulty concentrating. In addition, iron deficiency may cause decreased immune function, B-6 deficiency may cause skin inflammation and convulsions, and folate deficiency may cause heart palpitations and behavioral disorders. Long-term vitamin B-12 deficiency can lead to permanent neurological and nervous system damage, causing confusion, memory loss and dementia.
Treatment
Dietary supplements can help treat anemia caused by nutritional deficiencies. Doctors may treat some B-12 deficiencies with intramuscular injections to bypass absorption problems in the stomach or intestinal tract. High oral doses of B-12 may also treat deficiencies effectively, notes the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
References
- MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Anemia
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B-6
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Folate
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Vitamin B-12
- National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements: Iron
