“Anemia can be defined as a decrease in the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood caused by low hemoglobin concentration” (“A Practical Guide”, 1). “Cells in the body require oxygen to fully utilize fuels. The oxygen is transported from the lungs to tissues throughout the body via red blood cells. Oxygen binds to hemoglobin, a specific molecule within each red blood cell. This molecule consists of heme, which is a red pigment, and globin, which is a protein.
If the amount of functioning hemoglobin is reduced, a condition known as anemia arises” (“Anemia”, 1). “The anemia that may result can take many forms, including that caused by a low iron level (iron deficiency anemia), a vitamin deficiency (megaloblastic anemia), a thyroid deficiency, the premature destruction of red blood cells (hemolytic anemia), replacement of normal bone marrow cells by cancer cells or leukemia (myelophthisic anemia), injury to bone marrow (aplastic anemia), and inborn structural defect in red blood cells (e. g. ckle-cell anemia), inhibition of erythropoietin production by the immune system (anemia of chronic disease), and a normal or high iron level but an inability to manufacture hemoglobin or make use of the iron (sideroblastic anemia)” (“Anemia”, 2).
There are also several other less common types of anemia including: aplastic anemia, Thalassemia, acquired hemolytic anemia, inherited hemolytic anemia, sickle cell anemia, and anemia caused by miscellaneous factors (“Anemia”, 3-4). All of these different types of anemia can be grouped into categories according to their causes and treatments.
In all, more than 400 different forms of anemia have been identified, many of them rare. An anemic person often appears pale and weak and may feel breathless, faint or unusually aware of a pounding heart. The disorder may arise from a number of underlying conditions, some of which may be hereditary, but in many cases poor diet is to blame. Although some forms of anemia require supervised medical care, those stemming from improper nutrition can typically be treated at home once a physician has determined the cause”(“Anemia”, 1-2).
Anemia induced by poor nutrition encompasses a large part of the disease. It is important to investigate anemia related to nutrition, because it is a problem that is present in our lives and there is a lot of action we can take to prevent and treat this disease. The most common forms of nutritional anemia are iron-deficiency anemia, folic-acid deficiency anemia, and Pernicious anemia, which is commonly known as anemia caused by a vitamin B12 deficiency. There is an abundant amount of information available on the various types of nutritional anemia and treatments for those diseases.
International Nutritional Anemia Consultative Group was established in 1977 in response to the need for developing a worldwide awareness of the problem of nutritional anemia and the need for an infrastructure that could assist in dealing with this problem”(ilsi. org, 1). “The International Nutritional Anemia Consultative Group network provides consultative services and advice to operating and donor agencies seeking to reduce nutritional anemia and its accompanying adverse physiological consequences” (ilsi. org, 1).
Anemia is not itself a disease, rather it is a set of signs and symptoms which represent some other pathology. Because anemia affects oxygen transport, fuel utilization is affected. Thus a common symptom in mild anemia is fatigue. Other symptoms may include: shortness of breath pale skin, heart palpitations, noises in the ear, excessive thirst, weight loss, memory problems, or even jaundice, which is characterized by yellowish skin due to liver enzyme problems” (“Anemia”, 1)wellweb. “Because anemia is a hematologic (involving the blood) problem, the most basic testing involves a Complete Blood Count (CBC).
This can provide much of the needed information, including: a white blood cell count (cells important to fighting infection), and the hematocrit, which is the ratio of volume of the red blood cells (erythrocytes) divided by the complete blood volume. In addition, a blood smear is an important diagnostic test. As the name implies, this involves inspection of a sample of blood under the microscope to locate abnormalities within the structure of the cells. To be labeled anemia, the red blood cell count must be less than 4. 5 million/microliter for men, or less than 4 million/microliter for women. Normal levels are approximately 5. illion/microliter for men and 4. 8 million/microliter for women” (“Anemia, 1)wellweb.
“It’s fairly easy to recognize when a patient is anemic. Generally far more complex and costly-though it doesn’t have to be-is the task of defining precisely why the disorder exists. Yet an accurate diagnosis is essential for specific treatment to be started promptly” (Burns, 10). “Recent advances in blood-count automation, however, now enable the primary care practitioner to analyze the results of a complete blood count (CBC) and formulate a logical plan for diagnosing the cause of anemia with only a small number of inexpensive tests” (Burns, 10).
The condition of anemia can exist in three different ways including: decreased red-cell production, increased red-cell destruction, or loss of blood through hemorrhage. The three forms of nutritional anemia in this study are all a product of decreased red-cell production (Burns, 10-12). “The most common type of anemia is iron-deficiency anemia” (“Anemia”, 1). “Iron-deficiency is defined as anemia with biochemical evidence of iron deficiency” (Dreyfuss, background). “Iron deficiency anemia is the most common micro nutrient deficiency in the world today.
It impacts the lives of millions of woman and children contributing to poor cognitive development, increased maternal mortality and decreased work capacity. Yet with appropriate public health action, this form of micro nutrient malnutrition can be brought under control” (Dreyfuss, preface). “Iron deficiency anemia significantly impairs mental and psychomotor development in infants and children. Although iron deficiency can be reversed with treatment, the reversibility of the mental and psychomotor impairment is not yet clearly understood” (“Anemia and Iron status”, 1).
Although nutritional iron-deficiency has declined in industrialized nations, 500 to 600 million people (one-sixth of the world’s population) are still affected by this problem worldwide. Even in the U. S. , iron deficiency is the most prevalent nutritional deficiency” (“Anemia, 7) webmd. Iron deficiency anemia is characterized by an inadequate amount of red blood cells caused by a lack of iron. It’s very prevalent in less-developed countries, but is still considered to be a problem in developed countries (Dreyfuss, background).
This type of anemia is most prevalent in young children, ages 6-24 months, and in women of reproductive age. Older children, adolescents, adult men, and the elderly have also been found to have iron deficiency anemia (Dreyfuss, background). “Iron deficiency generally develops slowly and is not clinically apparent until anemia is severe even though functional consequences already exist” (Dreyfuss, background). “There are several main causes of the deficiency, including insufficient consumption of iron-containing foods, poor absorption of iron by the body, and loss of blood” (Mayo, 957).
Poverty, abuse, and living in a home with poor household conditions also place children at risk for iron deficiency anemia” (“Anemia and iron status”, 1). Iron-deficiency anemia is suspected to exist when blood smears show pale-colored and extremely small cells that are uneven in shape. After a blood smear yields these results, iron levels are checked. If they are low, physicians measure ferritin, which is a protein that binds iron. If ferritin levels are low, the diagnosis of iron-deficiency anemia is confirmed (“Anemia, 11)webmd.
A varied array of interventions exist that are designed to prevent and correct iron deficiency anemia. These include dietary improvement, fortification of foods with iron, iron supplementation, and other public health measures, such as helminth control” (Dreyfuss, 4). Supplementation of iron is one approach to treating this disease. “In many populations, the amount of iron absorbed from the diet is not sufficient to meet many individuals’ requirements. This is especially likely to be true during infancy and pregnancy, when physiological iron requirements are the highest.
If the amount of absorbable iron in the diet cannot be immediately improved, iron supplementation will be a necessary component of programs to control iron deficiency anemia” (Dreyfuss, 4). “Iron supplements are essential for the rapid treatment of severe iron deficiency anemia in all sex and age groups” (Dreyfuss, 4). “A daily protocol of iron supplementation is recommended for treatment and prevention in the priority target groups. Numerous studies have evaluated whether the frequency of iron supplementation can be reduced from daily to twice or once per week without compromising the efficacy of supplementation.
The efficacy of once-or twice-weekly supplementation in school-age children, adolescents, and nonpregnant women is promising, and the operational efficiency of intermittent dosing regimens if being evaluated. While research is ongoing to evaluate these regimens in different population groups, the current recommendation remains daily supplementation for young children and pregnant women” (Dreyfuss, 5). “In industrialized countries nutritional anemias have been reduced dramatically. Food fortification is the most beneficial preferred way of preventing nutritional anemia.
In developing countries food fortification programs have been demonstrated to be efficient, yet the incidence of nutritional anemia is high. Inadequate and poor quality of the diet, in conjunction with the high incidence of infection, are the most common immediate causes of nutritional anemias. These factors are linked to socioeconomic development. Long term reduction in the prevalence of nutritional anemias will not occur unless direct methods of control are complemented by improvements in socioeconomic conditions” (Haschke, 18-20).
Fortification of suitable food vehicles with absorbable forms of iron is a highly desirable approach to controlling iron deficiency. If a fortifiable food exists that is consumed by many people at risk of iron deficiency, fortification is likely to be the most cost-effective component of its control” (Dreyfuss, 5). “There are many possible strategies for iron fortification. One approach is to fortify a staple food that is consumed in significant quantities by most of the population” (Dreyfuss, 5).
In the Caribbean, South America, North America, and Great Britain this approach has been a success using wheat flour (Dreyfuss, 5-6). A second approach that has been a success, using fish sauce, curry powder, salt, and sugar, is the fortification of condiments that are frequently used (Dreyfuss, 6). Another method used to combat this type of anemia is diet improvement. “The amount of iron absorbed from the diet is highly dependent on the composition of the diet, namely, the quantities of substances that enhance or inhibit dietary iron absorption” (Dreyfuss, 6).
Foods rich in iron that your body can readily absorb include meats (especially liver), fish, poultry, eggs, legumes (peas and beans), potatoes, and rice” (Mayo, 957). “The highest sources of iron are in red meats, but also in chicken, seafood (notably cooked clams), dried peas and beans, dried fruits, dark leafy vegetables, molasses, wheat bran and wheat germ, oatmeal and soybean flour” (Blood disorders, 1). These food sources, along with Vitamin C-rich foods promote the absorption of iron (Dreyfuss, 6).
There are also foods that reduce your body’s ability to absorb iron: large quantities in the diet of bran, calcium, tea, excessive zinc and a compound called phytate (found in unleavened bread, unrefined cereals and soybeans) block the entry of iron into your digestive system. Spinach and lentils contain iron, but very little of it gets absorbed because these vegetables also contain phytate” (intelihealth, 2). Males require approximately one gram of iron each day. Pregnant, lactating, or menstruating women and growing children require approximately 1. 5 to 2 grams each day (Blood disorders, 1).
However, only about 10 percent of the iron you eat is actually absorbed by your body, so the average man would need to eat about 10 grams of iron per day. Your body absorbs iron in different quantities from different foods” (“Blood Disorders”, 1). “Eating plenty of iron-containing foods is particularly important for people who have high iron requirements, such as children and pregnant or menstruating women. It is also crucial for those whose diets are low in iron, including strict vegetarians, people on weight-reduction diets, and infants” (Mayo, 957).
