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Top 15 Foods to Fight Anemia (You Will Love #10)
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If you often feel weak, tired, or find that you become fatigued easily, you could be anemic. Anemia is a blood disorder that happens when the body does not make enough red blood cells to carry oxygen to the muscles and other tissue. This is why people with anemia often feel tired very quickly: their muscles are not getting enough oxygen-rich blood to supply their energy needs.
Anemia is the most common disorder of the blood. Women are more prone to anemia than men although the reason for this is still unknown. The most common causes of anemia are a deficiency of iron, a deficiency in vitamin B12, and a deficiency of folic acid. There are other reasons, such as lactation, aging, inherited disorders, and worm infestation, but most often it is simply a lack of iron in the diet.
Common symptoms of anemia are:
- Tiredness
- Lethargy
- A general feeling of un-wellness
- Palpitations
- Sensitivity to cold
- Shortness of breath
More severe symptoms include:
- Chronic heartburn
- Swelling of the arms and legs
- Increased sweating
- Blood in the stools
- Vomiting
A healthy diet high in iron is vital for anyone with anemia. You must include plenty of foods that also contain vitamin C, folic acid, and vitamin B12 in addition to iron. Keep reading and find out the top 15 food sources that can help to prevent and rid your body of anemia once and for all.
1. Seafood
Most seafood such as clams, octopus, scallops, mussels, whelk, cuttle fish, and oysters are all high in iron. Some fatty fish such as salmon, tuna, mackerel, and anchovies are also rich in iron. Pacific oysters have one of the highest levels of iron, with a whopping 7.2 mgs for every 100 grams. Have some seafood or fatty fish 3 times each week to help prevent anemia. If you are concerned about mercury contamination, there are plenty of other sources of iron on this list. Keep reading!
2. Dried Peaches, Prunes, and Raisins
Wow, that’s a pretty tasty list! These three dried fruits are great sources of iron. Dried peaches have 6 mgs for each 100 grams of peaches eaten. It’s easy to incorporate these into your daily diet. Simply mix some prunes, raisins, and dried peaches in a bowl, then add them to your morning oatmeal, eat them as an afternoon snack, or make them your evening dessert every day to help stave off anemia.
3. Molasses
You might not know it, but molasses is a pretty good source of iron! One tablespoon of molasses has 3.2 mgs of iron. You can add molasses to a wide variety of things. Most people enjoy molasses in their baked goods, oatmeal, over ice cream, or even drizzled over meats.
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4. Oatmeal
Speaking of oatmeal, this grain is very high in iron. However, they also contain a compound called phytic acid, which can inhibit the absorption of iron, so you don’t want to make oatmeal your main source of iron. One cup of oatmeal also contains B vitamins, including B12, which is also important for those who have anemia.
5. Mushrooms
This is a great way to get your iron! These tasty little fungi are loaded with riboflavin, niacin, iron and beta-glucans, substances that keep your immune cells alert. Depending on the type of mushroom you consume, a single mushroom can contain as much as 8mgs of iron!
6. Nuts
This list just gets tastier all the time, doesn’t it? Tree nuts are another great source of iron and they taste great at the same time. Although all tree nuts are iron rich, pistachio nuts are the best source of iron with 15 mgs per 100 grams of nuts.
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7. Apples and Dates
Apples and dates are both known to help improve iron levels in the blood. Adding a handful of sliced apples and dates to your oatmeal, yogurt, or even as a snack can be a tasty way to improve iron levels.
8. Tomatoes
Tomatoes contain two important compounds for those with anemia: vitamin C and lycopene. The vitamin C helps your body to absorb iron more easily, and lycopene is super at fighting diseases (especially cancer!) These vegetables are rich in beta carotene and vitamin E, which will help your skin and hair. Adding a tomato or two to your daily diet will help your body absorb more iron. If you like juicing, add one tomato to your green juice or drink it plain to give your body a shot of iron absorbing vitamin C.
9. Honey
What a sweet way to help stop anemia! Honey is good for your entire body and it has a fair amount of iron as well. 100 grams of honey has about 0.42 grams of iron. It also contains magnesium and copper to help increase the amounts of hemoglobin’s in your blood.
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10. Peanut Butter
Who doesn’t love the taste of peanut butter?! Peanut butter is a fantastic source of iron and is easily assimilated by the body. There are dozens of ways to incorporate peanut butter into your daily diet, too! Add some peanut butter to your morning toast, have a classic PB and J sandwich on whole wheat bread for lunch, add some to your yogurt, dip a banana in peanut butter, or eat it right out of the jar! Two tablespoons of peanut butter have 0.6 mgs of iron.
11. Eggs
Eggs are a great tasting way to get protein. They are also loaded with vitamins and antioxidants that will help your body deal with anemia. One large egg has 1mg of iron. Eggs are super easy to add to any diet. Don’t worry about that old wives tale about eggs raising your cholesterol levels; eggs contain cholesterol, but it doesn’t have anything to do with blood cholesterol, so feel free to have a couple for breakfast, chop up a couple for your salad, add them to rice dishes or mix them into your stir-fry.
12. Whole Grain Bread
Just one slice of whole grain bread will give you 6 percent of your daily requirement of iron. Whole grain bread is a very good source of non-heme iron, which will help your body effectively fight iron deficiency. Replace that nutrient dead white bread with healthy whole grain bread for an added iron boost every day.
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13. Beets
Beet root is well-known for being super effective when it comes to fighting anemia. This veggie is loaded with iron that will help to repair and reactivate the body’s red blood cells. This will supply plenty of oxygen to all parts of your body. Add beet root to your morning juice, or slice it and use it in salads. You can also roast it for a super tasty side dish at dinner. Be certain that you are buying only organic beet root so that you don’t consume a GMO product.
14. Spinach
This popular leafy green vegetable is great at preventing anemia. Spinach is loaded with calcium, vitamins A, E, C, B9, fiber, beta-carotene, and, of course, iron. Just one cup of spinach has 3.2 mgs of iron, which is 20 percent of your daily recommended intake. Add spinach to your green juices, put them in salads, add them to sandwiches, or just boil a few leaves for an iron-rich spinach soup!
SEE ALSO: Are the Ingredients in Your Food Stealing from Your Body?
15. Dark Chocolate
Talk about tasty! Just one ounce of dark chocolate has 5 mgs of iron! One cup of cocoa powder has 11.9 mgs of iron and even a plain milk chocolate bar has 1.1 grams of iron. So get your chocolate on and kick anemia to the curb!
If you are feeling tired, lethargic, and easily fatigued, you might have anemia. Ask your doctor to do a blood test and confirm it. Then, simply eat more of the 15 foods on this list to fight anemia and have the energy you deserve all day long!
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