We include products we think are useful for our readers. If you buy through links on this page, we may earn a small commission. Anemia happens when the number of healthy red blood cells in your body is too low. Anemia affects more than 1. Women and people with chronic diseases such as cancer have the highest risk of developing anemia. Dietary iron, vitamin B, and folate are essential for red blood cells to mature in the body. Normally, 0.
Any process that has a negative effect on this balance between red blood cell production and destruction can cause anemia. Causes of anemia are generally divided into those that decrease red blood cell production and those that increase red blood cell destruction. This typically occurs due to hemorrhaging , which can happen because of:.
Overall, however, iron deficiency is the most common cause of anemia. It accounts for nearly half of all anemia cases, and is a major nutritional disorder worldwide. Women need more iron and folate than men because of iron losses during their menstrual cycle and fetal development during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
According to the National Institutes of Health , the recommended daily iron intake for adults ages 19 to 50 are as follows:. Men and women over age 50 require only 8 milligrams mg of iron daily.
Good sources of dietary iron include:. Folate is the form of folic acid that occurs naturally in the body. Examples of foods rich in folate are:. The daily adult recommendation for vitamin B is 2. Women and teens who are pregnant need 2.
Beef liver and clams are two of the best sources of vitamin B Other good sources include:. People with anemia appear pale and may often complain of being cold. These molecules carry oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. There are many types of anemia and no single cause.
In some people, it can be difficult to identify what is causing a low low RBC count. Iron-deficiency anemia is the most common type of anemia, and blood loss is often the cause. A shortage of iron in the blood leads to this form of the condition, and low iron levels frequently occur as a result of blood loss. When the body loses blood, it draws water from tissues beyond the bloodstream to help keep the blood vessels full.
This additional water dilutes the blood, reducing the RBC count. Blood loss can be acute and rapid or chronic. Some causes of rapid blood loss include surgery, childbirth, and trauma. Chronic blood loss is more often responsible for anemia. It can result from a stomach ulcer, cancer , or another type of tumor. Bone marrow is soft, spongy tissue at the center of bones, and it plays an essential role in creating RBCs.
The marrow produces stem cells , which develop into RBCs, white blood cells, and platelets. A number of diseases can affect bone marrow, including leukemia. This is a type of cancer that triggers the production of excessive and abnormal white blood cells, disrupting the production of RBCs. Problems with bone marrow can cause anemia.
Aplastic anemia, for example, occurs when few or no stem cells are present in the marrow. In some cases, anemia results when RBCs do not grow and mature as usual, as with thalassemia — a hereditary form of anemia. This causes RBCs to be shaped like crescents. They may break down more quickly than healthy RBCs or become lodged in small blood vessels.
Vitamin B and folate are both essential for the production of RBCs. If a person does not consume enough of either vitamin, their RBC count may be low. These cells typically have a life span of days in the bloodstream, but the body may destroy or remove them before they complete their natural life cycle. One type of anemia that results from the destruction of RBCs is autoimmune hemolytic anemia. It occurs when the immune system mistakes RBCs for a foreign substance and attacks them.
Initially, iron deficiency anemia can be so mild that it goes unnoticed. But as the body becomes more deficient in iron and anemia worsens, the signs and symptoms intensify. If you or your child develops signs and symptoms that suggest iron deficiency anemia, see your doctor.
Iron deficiency anemia isn't something to self-diagnose or treat. So see your doctor for a diagnosis rather than taking iron supplements on your own. Overloading the body with iron can be dangerous because excess iron accumulation can damage your liver and cause other complications.
Iron deficiency anemia occurs when your body doesn't have enough iron to produce hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is the part of red blood cells that gives blood its red color and enables the red blood cells to carry oxygenated blood throughout your body. If you aren't consuming enough iron, or if you're losing too much iron, your body can't produce enough hemoglobin, and iron deficiency anemia will eventually develop.
Mild iron deficiency anemia usually doesn't cause complications. However, left untreated, iron deficiency anemia can become severe and lead to health problems, including the following:. Your body absorbs more iron from meat than it does from other sources. If you choose to not eat meat, you may need to increase your intake of iron-rich, plant-based foods to absorb the same amount of iron as does someone who eats meat.
You can enhance your body's absorption of iron by drinking citrus juice or eating other foods rich in vitamin C at the same time that you eat high-iron foods. Vitamin C in citrus juices, like orange juice, helps your body to better absorb dietary iron. To prevent iron deficiency anemia in infants, feed your baby breast milk or iron-fortified formula for the first year. Cow's milk isn't a good source of iron for babies and isn't recommended for infants under 1 year.
After age 6 months, start feeding your baby iron-fortified cereals or pureed meats at least twice a day to boost iron intake. After one year, be sure children don't drink more than 20 ounces milliliters of milk a day.
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