The anemia is a condition where your body does not get enough healthy red blood cells, and this said in other words when they don’t carry enough hemoglobin, or, when these cells do not actually do what they are supposed to do.These cells are responsible for bringing oxygen to our body and removing carbon dioxide from it and in case these processes don’t work properly, we get poisoned by carbon dioxide. The causes for this are many, and so does the treatment.
Signs of anemia
The causes of this condition might be very different. We all get tired and fatigued every now and then of course, but if most of these symptoms can be applied to you, it’s actually worth checking it out.
- Having pale skin and inside of the lower eyelids⏩
When it happens that our body doesn’t get enough oxygen or suffers from a reduced number of red blood cells, our skin can change color and we look very pale. This not only applies to just to the face but the entire body, especially the hands, and the inner part of the lower eyelids, as well as the tongue.
- Irregular heart rate
Having low levels of hemoglobin make the heart work harder than normal to pump blood through our system, so therefore it has to work extra hard trying to give us enough of the oxygen which in turn could result in an irregular heartbeat.
- Fatigue
In the case where our organs don’t get the right amount of oxygen, the body has to work much harder to produce enough energy for everyday functioning and this makes us feel very tired and fatigued.
- Problems with concentration⏩
All of the organs inside the body need oxygen to function well and the brain is no exception. If the oxygen level is lower than what is needed, we are not able to think clearly and suffer from poor concentration and focus.
- Nail thinning
In case your nails are brittle or develop a spoon-like shape, this can indicate another common, but not as very well known, a symptom of anemia. Our nails need oxygen to stay healthy.
- Cracks on the corners of your lips
Many of the people get dry or cracked lips sometimes from wind, sun, or some cold temperatures, but the anemia can cause some specific areas of cracking, which in turn affects the corners of the lips.
- Unusual cravings for non-nutritive substances⏩
Scientists still have no explanation for why anemia causes these weird cravings, but the most common ones are cravings for dirt, chalk, or ice.
Natural treatment for anemia
There exist many types of anemia and the treatment will be different depending on what caused this condition.
- 1. Improve stomach acid levels.
When it happens that our stomach doesn’t produce enough acid, our body cannot break down the food to the required degree and this might cause the malabsorption of minerals and vitamins, including iron and vitamin B12. You ingest enough nutrients with your food and supplements but it just does not get into your system.
Some ways to improve the low acid levels:
- apple cider vinegar, dilute a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in a cup of water and drink 15 minutes before a meal
- ginger will help to stimulate digestive juices
- fermented food may also improves digestion
The low acid levels can as well get to the point of giving you something called a leaky gut, because food doesn’t get digested properly and it irritates the gut lining.
- Heal leaky gut.⏩
Leaky gut, is actually a condition in which the small intestine lining gets damaged and when this happens, undigested food particles and toxins can get through the intestines and into the bloodstream, causing various health issues including anemia. Many times, the leaky gut is caused by an unbalanced diet, therefore, the best way to fix it is to change what you eat.
- eliminatethe food sensitivities
- include some healthy fats in your diet, as for example fish and oil
- eliminate processed food altogether
- Eat fermented foods.
The fermented food is full of probiotics, that are actually good bacteria that help our digestive system work well. The bacteria are known for healing the gut lining, and said in other words fixing what we have discussed in points two and three. Some examples of fermented foods include the following :
- sauerkraut
- yogurt
- kefir
- kombucha
- raw cheeses
- miso
- Eliminate food sensitivities⏩
The sensitivities in the food can irritate the digestive system and be responsible for causing leaky gut. Avoiding all the food intolerances will help to get it healed.
- Increase folate intake.
This one is a form of vitamin B9 and plays an important role in many functions in our body, also including building healthy red blood cells.
Food high in folate include the following :
- green vegetables
- citrus fruits
- beans
- whole grains
- papaya
- Increase B12 intake.⏩
This vitamin is also an essential element of healthy red blood cells. Vegetarians, also vegans, and pregnant women may be at higher risk of a vitamin B12 deficiency.
Food high in Vitamin B12 are as follows :
- meat
- fish
- dairy
- seafood
- eggs
- Increase iron intake⏩
This one is one of the elements that is essential for our body to function properly. And also, it is a key mineral for red blood cell production and its deficiency is very likely to cause anemia. There are actually two ways to increase iron intake — through supplements and food.
Food high in iron are as follows:
- red meat
- lentils and beans
- beetroot
- liver
- broccoli
- nuts
- spinach
- grains
