Anemia refers to the medical condition in which the body does not produce enough red blood cells to transfer oxygen to the tissues in the body. When you suffer from anemia, you feel weak and exhausted all the time. This disease can be temporary in nature or have a long-term effect on a person’s health, in which case they will require continual treatment. Causes Inflammation Several kinds of diseases like kidney diseases, cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, and chronic inflammatory diseases obstruct the process of producing red blood cells. Iron deficiency anemia This is the most common kind of anemia. As the name suggests, it is a result of a deficiency of iron in the body. The bone marrow requires iron to produce hemoglobin. When there is a shortage of the nutrient, the body fails to generate a sufficient amount of hemoglobin to produce red blood cells. Vitamin-deficiency anemia Apart from iron, the body requires vitamin B-12 and folate to generate red blood cells. When your diet does not have any of these, there is a sharp drop in the red blood cell count. There are also cases of people who consume vitamin B-12 but not absorbing it properly. That gives rise to vitamin-deficiency anemia.

Anemia is caused by the lack of healthy red blood cells (RBCs) to carry sufficient oxygen to the tissues. This can be due to acute blood loss, the body’s inability to make RBCs, or the destruction of these cells. The condition can be managed by making changes in lifestyle and eating habits. Since proper food intake is crucial for alleviating anemia, let’s look at the recommended foods for those with this condition. Foods to eat Dark leafy greens like spinach Kale, spinach, collard greens, Swiss chard, and dandelion greens are all great sources of nonheme iron, which is essential for healthy living. Swiss chard and collard, specifically, are also high in folate. Eating folate-rich foods is necessary to avoid folate deficiency anemia. Organ meat like liver Liver, heart, kidney, and beef tongue are some popular organ meat choices rich in iron. That said, it is essential to ensure that the meat is hygienic, sustainably sourced, and toxin-free. Seafood like tuna Seafood is known to be a good source of heme iron. Fish like tuna, mackerel, pompano, fresh perch, salmon, or even mahimahi are rich in heme iron. Those who articularly like shellfish can have oysters, clams, crabs, shrimps, and scallops, as these too are good sources of iron.