Lots of women these days have anemia for different reasons. Anemia is when you don’t have enough healthy red blood cells. It is important to take it seriously because if you don’t treat it, it can cause big health problems. What you eat is a big part of dealing with anemia.
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia. Without enough iron, the body can’t make enough healthy red blood cells, leading to fatigue and weakness.
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Here are 7 essential foods that can help manage anemia by improving your iron levels:
Red Meat: This is good for anemia because it has a type of iron called “heme iron.” Our bodies can take this iron in easily, and it helps make hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a key part of our red blood cells.
Chicken and Other Birds: Meats like chicken, turkey, and duck also have heme iron, but not as much as red meat. Still, they can help you get more iron and are a lighter way to eat more iron.
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Dates: These sweet fruits can help if you have anemia. They have iron and other good things that help your body make more hemoglobin and use the iron better.
Seeds: Some seeds, like pumpkin, sunflower, flax, hemp, sesame, chia, and poppy seeds, have a good amount of iron. They also have other important stuff like zinc, magnesium, vitamin E, omega-3s, and protein, which help make hemoglobin and keep you healthy.
Green Leafy Vegetables: Veggies like spinach, kale, collard greens, and Swiss chard have a type of iron called “non-heme iron.” They also have fiber, vitamins, and antioxidants that are good for your overall health and can help your iron levels get better naturally.
Beans: Foods like black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, and lentils are great for anemia because they have lots of iron. This iron helps your body make more red blood cells and raises your iron levels.
Vitamin C Foods: Vitamin C helps your body take in the iron from plant-based foods. Foods like oranges, lemons, berries, kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya, guava, tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, cabbage, and sprouts can help your body use iron better.