Vegan Foods For Anemia | Care2 Healthy Living

Anemia is incredibly common, especially in women (vegan or not). In fact, you can be anemic without even knowing it. If you are concerned about anemia, these vegan foods for anemia can help you get back on track.

Symptoms of anemia and treatment

According to the Mayo Clinic, the symptoms of anemia include:

• Tired
• Weakness
• Pale or yellowish skin
• Irregular heartbeats
• breathlessness
• Dizziness or dizziness
• Chest pain
• Hands and cold feet
• Headache

Of course, anemia is not the only possible cause of these symptoms. Talk to your doctor if you think you are anemic. They can find out for sure by doing blood tests.

Your anemia treatment plan will depend on the underlying cause. If you suffer from iron deficiency, your doctor will recommend you to consume more foods rich in iron and possibly an iron supplement. A deficiency of folic acid and vitamin B12 can also cause anemia. In this case, you must supplement these vitamins.

Some types of anemia are not caused by nutritional deficiencies. Some chronic diseases can cause anemia, for example. Treatment of these forms of anemia usually requires more than dietary changes and supplements. Talk to your doctor before trying to treat anemia strictly through a diet.

Vegan Foods for anemia

If your doctor recommends that you consume more iron, folic acid or vitamin B12, the foods for anemia described below may help you.

Vegan foods rich in iron

Is your doctor afraid that you are not getting enough iron? Supplements may help, but they can also have unpleasant side effects, such as severe constipation. Talk to your doctor about whether it is acceptable to try to increase your iron intake in foods before switching to supplements.

• Beans, including bean products such as tofu and hummus, are excellent sources of vegan iron.
• Some dried fruits-Peaches, apricots and prunes-also provide a good amount of iron
• Leafy green vegetables can pack a powerful iron punch. Load kale and green cabbage, but avoid spinach and Swiss chard. These greens contain a lot of iron, but they also contain compounds that block the absorption of iron.
• treacle is an iron power plant. Incorporate a tablespoon into your oatmeal to start the day with a lot of iron.
• quinoa is a delicious, iron-rich food that is the ideal base for a Buddha bowl. You can also use it to prepare the breakfast porridge. Maybe with black strap molasses, for good measure?

You can improve iron absorption by your body by eating iron-rich foods as well as foods containing vitamin C. What's cool with vegan foods rich in iron, is that many d Among them, like dark leafy greens, also contain vitamin C. raise the bar, however, with fruits, sweet potatoes and winter squash.

Sources of folic acid of plant origin

You probably associate folic acid, called folate or vitamin B9, with pregnancy, but a deficiency in folic acid can also cause anemia. These are some great vegan sources of folic acid.

• Beans, which are also high in iron, give you a good dose of folic acid.
• Just half a cup of asparagus provides 34 percent of your daily folate.
• Those rich in iron dark green and leafy are also packed with folic acid, so get yourself a double boost! Other green vegetables also bring folic acid. Brussels sprouts and broccoliin particular, give you a good amount of folic acid per cup.
• A cup of beets contains 37% of your daily folic acid needs. They are also a good source of vitamin C, which facilitates the absorption of iron.
• Citrus fruits give you the double whammy of folic acid and vitamin C. A kale salad with citrus vinaigrette starts to look like a recipe for fighting anemia!
• A handful of nuts and seeds are a filling snack that also provides a good dose of folate.
• For many of us wheat germ It's no longer fashionable in the late '90s, but this crunchy whole grain is rich in folic acid. Sprinkle on your morning oatmeal to add some crunch and folate to your morning.
• Some fruitspapaya and banana and Lawyer– are excellent sources of folate.

Vegan sources of B12

There are not a ton of dietary sources of vitamin B12, and I always encourage vegans to take a B12 supplement. Vegan R.D. is a good guide to choosing the best vitamin B12 supplement. If you also want to add vitamin B12-rich vegan foods to your diet, you have a few options.

• Nutritional yeast is a vaguely cheesy condiment that goes great with pasta, vegetables, rice or anywhere you want to add a touch of cheese flavor. It is also a good vegan source of B12.
• According to Vegan Health & Fitness Magazine, vitamin B12 is actually produced by bacteria. This makes the food fermented, as Tempeh, Kombucha and kimchi– Good dietary sources of the vitamin.
• Many foods on store shelves are also fortified with vitamin B12. Foods fortified with vitamin B12 include: vegan milks, lots of cereals and vegan meat substitutes.

If you are worried about undiagnosed anemia, talk to your doctor. A simple blood test can determine whether you are anemic or not, and everyone can not manage anemia just by changing their diet.

Have you managed to manage anemia through dietary changes? Which vegan foods for anemia have worked for you?

Pictures via Getty