Anemia: anemia and its risks

Veröffentlicht am: October 28, 2024
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann
Dr. med. Wolfgang Bachmann

General practitioner

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), around 24.8% of the population suffers from anaemia. This corresponds to one in four people. 

Anemia is a condition in which the number of red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood is very low. This often manifests itself in tiredness, poor concentration and palpitations. 

In this guide, you can read all about anemia, triggers, symptoms, who is particularly frequently affected and treatment options, as well as lots of other interesting information worth knowing.

 

Contents

What is anemia? 

Anemia is the lack of red blood cells (erythrocytes) or haemoglobin in the blood. Haemoglobin is an iron-rich protein in red blood cells, which is responsible for the color of our blood. The main task of the red blood pigment is to transport oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body. If there is too little haemoglobin in the body, the organs cannot be supplied with oxygen-rich blood. 

What triggers anemia (anemia)? 

There are various reasons why you may be affected by anemia. The main causes are 

  • Insufficient formation of red blood cells. This is often triggered by the bone marrow, which is normally responsible for the formation of blood cells, not functioning properly. This is life-threatening. 
  • You have lost too much blood due to an injury, your period or another circumstance.
  • Your body turns against its own blood cells due to changes in the immune system.

Even though anemia and iron loss are two different things, patients affected by anemia often also suffer from an iron deficiency. 

➤ Wussten Sie, das weltweit 10 % der Menschen an einem Eisenmangel leiden?

 

This is an alarming percentage, because iron plays an important role in supplying the individual body systems with oxygen. 

Caution: Anemia often goes unnoticed at the beginning because it only starts weakly. However, anemia can worsen over the years and cause symptoms. A hematocrit test can be used to determine the number of red blood cells contained in the blood, and a haemoglobin test provides information about the number of iron-rich proteins in your blood.

What are the consequences of anemia? 

As you probably know, an adequate supply of oxygen is extremely important to maintain the function of the brain, tissues, muscles and cells. If this is restricted by anaemia, it can manifest itself in various symptoms: 

  • Tiredness and weakness, pale skin 
  • Irregular and increased heartbeat
  • Breathing difficulties such as shortness of breath, poor physical condition or reduced stamina
  • Chest pain
  • Dizziness and loss of stability
  • Concentration difficulties
  • Cold hands and feet 
  • Headache 

Who is particularly at risk of developing anemia? 

Different groups of people can be increasingly affected by anemia:

  • People with iron or vitamin B12 deficiency

For example, if you already have an iron deficiency or vitamin B12 deficiency. These deficiency symptoms can be triggered if you have an unbalanced diet or follow a vegan or vegetarian diet.

If you avoid animal products, you may experience these deficiency symptoms, as they are very good sources of iron and vitamin B. What may seem surprising, but can also have an impact on vitamin B absorption, is a Candida infection. This is because the infection affects the way the body can absorb nutrients. 

  • Women, pregnant women and senior citizens

Research shows that women are more frequently affected by anemia than men and it is particularly common during pregnancy. In addition, the risk of being affected by anemia increases from the age of 65. 

  • People with a serious pre-existing condition

Other people who have an increased tendency to produce too little hemoglobin and red blood cells are those who suffer from an autoimmune disease, HIV/AIDS, rheumatoid arthritis, kidney disease or cancer.  

People who suffer from a digestive disorder, such as leaky gut syndrome or the inflammatory bowel disease Crohn's disease, are also more likely to suffer from deficiency symptoms or anemia. The reason for this is the non-intact absorption of nutrients in the intestine. In addition, taking medication, such as aspirin, can block the absorption of certain nutrients.

  • Other factors that can cause anemia 

Sometimes anemia is also genetic and is not caused by lifestyle factors or diet. These include aplastic anemia (your body does not produce enough red blood cells), bone marrow diseases such as leukemia and myelofibrosis, hemolytic anemia (red blood cells are destroyed faster than the bone marrow can replace them) or sickle cell anemia (the hemoglobin produces defective red blood cells that cannot be used by the body and die prematurely).

How dangerous is anemia (anemia)? 

In the case of anemia, the side effects of palpitations and breathing difficulties are particularly dangerous. These symptoms are caused by the body trying to regulate the lack of oxygen. However, if the condition persists over a long period of time, it can lead to cardiac insufficiency. This can have serious consequences. 

We therefore recommend that you contact your doctor if you suspect or have confirmed anemia by means of a hemoglobin test and seek his or her care. 

How can anemia be influenced by diet? 

In addition to an adequate intake of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid, a balanced diet is particularly important:

  • You should therefore eliminate ready meals and fast food from your diet as far as possible. In addition, so-called "empty" calories, such as refined grains, sugar and synthetic ingredients, should be avoided and replaced with nutritious foods.  
  • Soft drinks, coffee and black tea should also be avoided, as these products inhibit iron absorption. 
  • Calcium binds to iron, which can have a negative effect on iron absorption. For this reason, conventional dairy products should also only be consumed very rarely. 

What natural treatments are there for anemia? 

The treatment of the symptoms of anemia can be supported in a natural way. We therefore present four ways in which you can stimulate the production of haemoglobin and red blood cells. 

  • Strengthen your spleen! 

It is responsible for filtering the blood system. This means that dead, defective or deformed red blood cells are filtered out of the blood and broken down in the spleen. This leaves the healthy erythrocytes in the blood. The health of your spleen is therefore important, as an enlargement of the organ can lead to too many red blood cells being filtered out. The result is an insufficient number of erythrocytes.  

Therefore, choose foods that support your spleen! For example, foods that contain a lot of bitter substances, such as rocket, grapefruit and turmeric. 

  • Strengthen your gut!

To improve the absorption of nutrients, you can use probiotics capsules or probiotics powder. A healthy gut is essential for the absorption of nutrients. Therefore, the motto is not: "You are what you eat." Rather, the motto should be: "You are what you digest.".

If digestion is impaired, nutrients are not properly absorbed and assimilated. This means that you can take as many iron and vitamin B supplements as you like, but if your gut is not healthy and cannot absorb them properly, they are useless. 

A medical study from Stanford has shown that vitamin B levels and iron levels often increase when probiotics are taken.

  • Make sure you eat iron-rich foods!

The next step in overcoming your anemia symptoms is to eat iron-rich foods. You can do this by eating the following products: 

  • lean meat 
  • Seafood
  • Nuts
  • Beans

The best iron-rich foods include beef and chicken liver.

➤ Liver? This may seem strange, but if you buy organic chicken liver from your trusted farmer or organic food store, it's no problem. Liver is not only rich in iron, but also provides valuable B vitamins, making it an extremely nutritious food.

 

But be careful: pregnant women should definitely avoid eating liver. The reason for this is the extremely high vitamin A content, which can harm the unborn child in the womb. 

  • Take the right food supplements! 

Of course, there are also helpful dietary supplements for anemia that you can take to support a healthy diet. However, as we have already mentioned, the functioning of your intestines is paramount, which is why taking probiotics tablets is recommended. A list of additional supplements that can be used to support the treatment of anemia symptoms are: 

  • Vitamin B complex capsules
  • Iron capsules 
  • Folate capsules: Is also very important for the formation of blood in the body. However, folate and not the synthetic form, folic acid, should be used. 

Conclusion

Anemia means that too few red blood cells or haemoglobin are produced and present in the blood. This can lead to various symptoms, which can have serious consequences, especially over a longer period of time. As symptoms such as tiredness, lack of concentration, cold hands and feet and dizziness are not definite complaints and can also be triggered by a variety of other illnesses, it is not advisable to make a self-diagnosis. It is therefore very important to be examined by a doctor if anemia is suspected.

 

Sources (in English): 

 

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Gasche, C., Lomer, M. C., Cavill, I., & Weiss, G. (2004). Iron, anaemia, and inflammatory bowel diseases. Gut, 53(8), 1190–1197. https://doi.org/10.1136/gut.2003.035758

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Gómez Ramírez, S., Remacha Sevilla, Á. F., & Muñoz Gómez, M. (2017). Anaemia in the elderly. Anemia del anciano. Medicina clinica, 149(11), 496–503. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.medcli.2017.06.025

Solik, P., & Murin, J. (2004). Anaemia in heart failure. Bratislavske lekarske listy, 105(12), 419–423.

Your guide to anemia. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/files/docs/public/blood/anemia-yg.pdf. Zugegriffen im August, 2020.