Anemia is a condition marked by inadequate oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood. An insufficient number of red blood cells or an abnormally low amount of oxygen-transporting hemoglobin within the red blood cells can cause anemia. Anemias are...
Anemia refers to low red blood cell counts; common symptoms of anemia include fatigue and pallor. It is divided into three types: microcytic, normocytic, and macrocytic. Microcytic anemia means there are low numbers of red blood cells and they...
There are many possible reasons for a low blood count, and several may coexist in one person. The primary test for blood counts called a complete blood count, or CBC, measures the concentration of red cells, white cells and platelets. A low blood...
Iron overload occurs when there is too much iron in the body. The body has no way to get rid of excess iron. When iron levels exceed the storage capacity of blood, iron deposits begin to appear in the heart, liver, pancreas, joints and...
Iron overload occurs when iron intake exceeds the body's capacity to store it. The excess is deposited in internal organs such as the liver, pancreas, heart, brain and joints. Iron overload may result in a variety of health problems, including...
Vitamin C, also known as ascorbic acid, is not produced in the body. While many people get enough of the vitamin through their diet, some may turn to vitamin C supplements to meet their needs. Although vitamin C has been linked with the prevention...
The liver is the largest organ inside the human body and performs many functions. It stores glucose, iron, vitamins and minerals, and it manufactures proteins. It produces bile to aid in the digestion of food and helps the body fight infection. It...
Microcytic anemia is a condition in which the body produces low numbers of small red blood cells with a mean corpuscular volume of less than 80 femotoliters. Normal red blood cells are medium size and have a mean corpuscular volume of 80 to 100...
Vitamin B-6 is one of the eight water-soluble B vitamins. Over 100 chemical reactions in the body require this vitamin, stated by the Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin B-6 is particularly important in protein metabolism and the making of...
A change in skin color can be quite an alarming experience, especially if it dramatically changes your appearance. Sometimes, the skin can change to a white, yellow or bronze color. This color change may occur as the result of an underlying...
Iron is an important element that is needed to make new red blood cells. However, an excess of iron in the body can cause iron to accumulate in various tissues, leading to damage. Iron overload disorders can be caused by certain genetic...
Pyridoxine is the most common technical name for vitamin B6, although vitamin B6 includes two other related chemical compounds as well. Pyridoxine hydrochloride, or pyridoxine HCl, is a form of vitamin B6 that can be taken as a supplement, and is...
Iron is a mineral key to the body's ability to perform vital functions such as producing blood cells and ensuring efficient transportation of oxygen to cells. Getting enough iron is essential, but too much iron can be toxic and even fatal to...
Zinc is an essential mineral that plays a variety of important functions in the body. While generally healthy when taken in doses of 300 milligrams or less a day, excess zinc consumption can lead to poisoning that may cause a variety of symptoms,...
Iron is an essential mineral required for human life. Most iron occurs in your red blood cells and carries oxygen to all cells within your body. Iron is also necessary for production of adenosine triphosphate, or ATP, the body's energy source....
Myelodysplastic syndromes, or MDS, are a group of diseases of blood and bone marrow. Blood stem cells originate in bone marrow; after maturation they become white or red blood cells, or platelets. In MDS, the stem cells do not mature and they...
Vitamin B6 has many important roles in the body, including protein and fat metabolism. It also helps convert carbohydrates into usable energy and is necessary for the immune and nervous systems to function properly, according to the National...
The body requires iron to produce red blood cells and other iron-containing substances. Dietary iron absorbed from the intestine serves as the natural source to meet metabolic needs. The body conserves iron and has no mechanism for ridding itself...
Vitamin B-6, also called pyridoxine, is an important nutrient for good health. Your body needs B-6 for a number of important functions, including the production of red blood cells. In medicine, B-6 supplements are primarily used to correct B-6...
The bone marrow is the center of production of white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. WBCs fight infections, RBCs carry oxygen throughout the body and platelets cause the blood to clot to prevent bleeding. Healthy bone marrow...
Vitamin B-6 is an essential nutrient, meaning that your body needs it for healthy function but can't produce the vitamin on its own. While nutritional supplements that contain vitamin B-6 can help you get enough of this vital nutrient, your diet...
Pyridoxine, or vitamin B6, is found in a variety of plant and vegetable products, including cereals, beans, potatoes, tuna, salmon and pork. Because of the abundance of the vitamin, a deficiency of vitamin B6 is rare; however, it may occur in...
Iron is a metallic element that your body needs in certain amounts to carry out vital tasks that include oxygen transportation, energy storage inside your cells and self-protection from harmful molecules called free radicals. Your body stores some...
In the 2005 edition of "Modern Nutrition in Health and Disease," U.S. Department of Agriculture scientist Richard J. Wood, Ph.D. explains that all living organisms, including humans, require iron. Although iron is abundant on Earth, Wood says most...
Approximately 20 percent of women and 2 percent of men have iron deficiency anemia, notes a report in "American Family Physician." The most common nutritional deficiency worldwide, iron deficiency anemia causes severe fatigue in women and mental...
There are eight different B vitamins, each serving as a factor that help you generate energy, regulate growth and development and maintain healthy nerve function. All B vitamins are water-soluble, which means that excess is usually excreted and...
Iron is a vital mineral your body needs to function normally. However, the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS, indicates that too much iron can cause serious health complications. You may want to take iron-free...
Zinc is an essential trace element that plays an important role in cellular metabolism and proper functioning of the immune system. The National Institute of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements recommends 2 to 12 mg of the zinc per day,...
People with anemia have less than the normal amount of red blood cells. Anemia is further differentiated by the size of the red blood cells that do exist. In normocytic anemia, patients do not have enough red blood cells, but the cells that they...
