Anemia refers to a condition where the hemoglobin concentration in circulating blood falls below the lower limit of normal values: less than 120 g/L for adult males, less than 110 g/L for females, and less than 100 g/L for pregnant women. To be precise, anemia is a symptom rather than a specific disease; it can accompany various illnesses.
Anemia is more prevalent among women. So what exactly causes so many women to develop anemia?
Beauty and Hair Care
The pursuit of beauty is inherent in women. To keep up with trends, many office workers frequently change their hairstyles. To maintain youthful looks, numerous women apply layers upon layers of makeup. Experts caution that women should exercise caution when using cosmetics, as some low-quality products often contain harmful substances, including excessively high lead levels.
The blood system is one of the most sensitive to lead toxicity. Elevated blood lead levels trigger a series of reactions, ultimately reducing hemoglobin synthesis. Consuming foods rich in calcium, iron, zinc, and vitamins B and C can counteract lead's effects, reduce its absorption, and help lower blood lead levels.
Excessive Tea and Coffee Consumption
While coffee contains certain nutrients and tea is a healthful beverage, moderation is key—too much of either can be detrimental. Coffee contains a compound called chlorogenic acid, which can interfere with iron absorption. Individuals with iron-deficiency anemia should especially avoid tea, as the tannic acid in strong tea binds with iron to form insoluble compounds, causing iron to be excreted in feces.Women should avoid coffee and tea during menstruation.
Vegetarianism and Fruit-Based Diets
Many office workers follow trends, avoiding meat entirely to maintain their figure and subsisting on fruit-based meals daily.
Experts note that abstaining from meat or relying solely on fruit makes it difficult to ensure adequate iron intake.While some vegetables contain iron, their iron content is lower than that in meat. Additionally, plant-based oxalic acid, phytic acid, phosphoric acid, and high dietary fiber content can impair iron absorption, reducing its absorption rate to just one-tenth that of meat.
Regular fruit consumption is beneficial for maintaining mineral balance, but fruits lack essential nutrients like iron and calcium. Long-term reliance on vegetables and fruits as staples can easily lead to anemia.
Dietary Recommendations:
Carrots: Rich in vitamins B and C, carrots also contain a unique nutrient—carotene. Whether juiced or cooked in soup, they make an excellent blood-nourishing food.
Dried Radish: The most unassuming and affordable yet highly nutritious food, it is exceptionally rich in vitamin B and contains very high levels of iron.
Black beans: Traditionally valued in Chinese medicine for their health benefits. Black beans promote blood production and can be prepared according to personal preference. For postpartum recovery, black beans stewed with Silkie chicken is recommended.
Spinach: This common vegetable is renowned for its blood-building properties. Rich in iron and carotene, it stands as a key blood-nourishing vegetable.
Hair moss: Containing high iron levels, hair moss can be used in soups and dishes to nourish the blood.
Longan flesh: Rich in iron, vitamin A, vitamin B, glucose, and sucrose. It nourishes the blood while also treating forgetfulness, palpitations, neurasthenia, and insomnia.
Gluten: Gluten is exceptionally rich in iron.
Daylily buds: Containing 20 times more iron than spinach, daylily buds are also rich in vitamins A, B1, C, protein, fat, and other nutrients.
Black dates: Among dried dates, black dates and honey dates are most highly recommended. Besides high iron content, they are rich in vitamin C, which promotes iron absorption.However, dried dates are high in dietary fiber, which can be hard to digest, so it's best not to eat too many daily.
Regularly consuming a balanced diet with diverse, regular, and moderate meals can help prevent anemia. Eating the right foods is also beneficial for treatment. The above common foods have excellent "blood-building" properties, so it's a good idea to incorporate them into your diet.