AYURVEDA PERSPECTIVE ON ANEMIA

Anemic blood is weaker than non-anemic. Blood that lacks umphh may leave you feeling cold, your skin pale, and your digestion weak. In fact, all blood intensive activities may be affected.

Some of the types of anemia include iron-deficiency, pernicious, inflammatory, and hemolytic anemias like sickle-cell and thalassemia. Treatment changes dramatically according to the type of anemia. There is no one-size fits all approach to all anemias.

Iron Deficient Anemias

A common cause of anemia is excess bleeding in the menstrual cycle, or from cystic fibroids. Inflammation, and infections such as COVID, increase hepcidin (blocking iron metabolism). Iron deficiency is an important sign of severe COVID.

Iron deficient anemias are helped by iron rich foods. Iron can be harmful / poisonous if taken by those who have hemolytic anemias, or other anemias not characterized by iron deficiency.

Iron Absorption

Gastric acid and a low pH enhances solubility and uptake of oxidized iron. Hypochlorhydria and use of antacids can create an iron deficiency. Iron in the form of Heme, present in meats, is rapidly absorbed regardless of duodenal pH. Meats are thus an excellent source of iron. Ascorbate and citrate increase iron uptake by increasing solubility. Conversely, iron absorption is inhibited by plant phytates and tannins. Lead, especially undetected in groundwater, can interfere with iron absorption.

Hemolytic Anemias

In hemolytic anemia such as sickle cell and thalassemia, your red blood cells die every 25 days, causing congestion in the liver and spleen. Normal red blood cells live 120 days. The fast die-off may create a condition called 'black bile' in Greek Medicine.

The die-off rate increases when a person is stressed, and may congest the liver and spleen. Hemloytic anemias are helped by reducing stress, excess physical activity, and exposure to heat. Microcytic anemia may result from hemolytic and iron-deficient anemias.

Other Types of Anemia

Macrocytic anemia relates to vitamin B-12 deficiency. Pernicious anemia is common among vegetarians after several years. Pernicious anemia is due to a lack of vitamin B-12.

Disclaimer: 'Anemia' could be serious and should be checked by a medical doctor.

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COMPUTE MY DIET FOR ANEMIA
OR, GET A GENERAL DIET FOR BALANCING ANEMIA

Augment your diet with these specially chosen ingredients below which may be useful for 'Anemia'. Individual results vary depending the cause of your imbalance and by constitution. Please research the ingredients below to find which are most helpful for you, and check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

These ingredients are contraindicated / may aggravate 'Anemia'.

Please check with your medical doctor before making any changes to your health & wellness routine, and for the proper use of these products.

BLOOD AND CIRCULATION TIPS

DISCLAIMER: The pathogenesis of each person's condition is unique, and so the diet must be fit to the individual and the unique root causes of the condition in your body. The information on this page is for educational purposes only and should not be used to treat a medical condition. It is not a substitute for medical care. Please check with your doctor before making any changes to your health and wellness routine.

Everything you eat has an effect on your body, which Ayurveda categorizes in a simple and easy way, using biocharacteristics (gunas). Biocharacteristics are qualities (like cold and hot) that describe the effect a food or herb has on your body. Cooling foods like cucumber, decrease metabolism. Heating foods like chili pepper, stimulate your body and increase metabolism. For 'Anemia', you should select foods with the following biocharacteristics. Individual results will vary, based on your body type and the root cause of your imbalance.

Energy Vitality:

Tonic

TONIC

A tonic herb restores function through strengthening tissue. This can happen through a combination of nourishing the tissue, and invigorating tissue metabolism. The tonic should not be withering, as in caffeine.

SEE ALL 'TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Prana

PRANA

Prana is the Sanskrit word for vital life energy (Qi in Chinese Medicine, pneuma in Greek). Many herbs stimulate your energy, or improve the flow of prana through your body. Generally, prana needs to be increased in spring after a sleepy winter.

SEE ALL 'PRANA' FOODS / HERBS

Heart & Circulation:

Alterative

ALTERATIVE

Restores the proper function of the body by cleansing the blood and balancing blood chemistry. In Ayurveda terms, they pacify Pitta in rakta. They were traditionally used to revitalize and detoxify after a long winter.

SEE ALL 'ALTERATIVE' FOODS / HERBS

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Blood Tonic

BLOOD-TONIC

An herb that produces more blood cells in the body, or otherwise improves blood cell quality or hemoglobin content. Helpful for anemia and other types of deficiency.

SEE ALL 'BLOOD-TONIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Hemostatic

HEMOSTATIC

An herb that stops bleeding.

SEE ALL 'HEMOSTATIC' FOODS / HERBS

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Vasodilator

VASODILATOR

A vasodilator is an herb that widens the blood vessels by the relaxation of smooth muscle cells within the vessel walls, thereby increasing circulation systemically or to a local area.

SEE ALL 'VASODILATOR' FOODS / HERBS

Strength, Muscle Health:

Ojas

OJAS

Ojas is the essence of healthy tissue, immunity, stable energy and happiness. Substances that improve ojas are recommended after long-term illness, debility, emotional and physical trauma, and even sadness.

SEE ALL 'OJAS' FOODS / HERBS

Constituents:

Iron

IRON

Iron is necessary for the transport of oxygen in red blood cells.

SEE ALL 'IRON' FOODS / HERBS

Joyful Belly is a recognized college of biocharacteristics medicine.

HOW TO ADDRESS ISSUES IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2

ANEMIA IS IN STAGE OF DISEASE #2 - AFFECTING BLOOD & EMOTIONS

Affecting Blood: Initially, imbalances are localized, often in the digestive tract. As an imbalance grows, it starts to affect your body systemically, via the blood. If you have symptoms in this category it means that your imbalances are starting to spread, have entered the bloodstream, and are now systemic. Pay particular attention to the biocharacteristics, tastes, and doshas out of balance systemically, so you know how to strengthen your body as a whole, and reduce physical stress on your organs. At this stage of imbalance you will begin to experience generalized discomfort, imbalanced emotions, and may develop sensitivities to temperature. It may take several weeks of strict adherence to a specific remedial diet to clear blood level imbalances. Blood cleansing herbs may reduce symptoms. A several day cleanse may shorten the recovery time. (See all disease stages on JB)

GET MY FREE AYURVEDA BODY MAP According to Ayurveda, one or more of the following doshas and biocharacteristics may aggravate 'Anemia'. If you have an excess of one of these doshas or biocharacteristics below, Ayurveda recommends reducing foods and lifestyle habits that aggravate them. Click on the biocharacteristic to learn what foods and lifestyle habits should be reduced.

Are you prone to a problem with 'Anemia'? Find your imbalances and create a diet for your Blood and Circulation by taking the free blood and circulation quiz:

TAKE THE BLOOD AND CIRCULATION QUIZ

The following symptoms & habits may be related to 'Anemia'. See your quiz results for a computerized assessment of your body type. Please click on the symptoms below to learn more about them. On average the biocharacteristics of people reporting Anemia were more aggravated than 54% of other symptoms. From the 6,770 people who reported Anemia average deviation in biocharacteristic levels were the following:

Risk Factors of Anemia

Complications of Those Reporting Anemia

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