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Literally the word ‘Anemia’ means “without blood”, and is a deficiency of red blood cells, or the presence of abnormal red blood cells due either to reduced production, abnormal production, excess destruction or blood loss.

Symptoms - The symptomes of anemia are tiredness, dizziness, headaches, dpression, slow healing, loss of sex drive, shortness of breath, bruising, and palpitation.

Anemia is a symptom caused by a wide variety of conditions. The most significant and common forms of anemia are those related to diet. Most people equate anemia with iron deficiency. While iron deficiency anemia is fairly common for women in the childbearing years due to frequent loss of iron-containing hemoglobin in the menstrual flow.

Iron deficiency should be first tested for prior to medication. It is to be suspected in infancy, puberty, pregnancy, females with heavy periods, and any other condition causing sudden or chronic blood loss, such as a chronic bleeding ulcer.

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia is becoming an increasing concern.  Another form of B12 deficiency caused by restricted diet is less rare. Vitamin B12 deficiency takes 6 to 10 years to become apparent, but once manifest the damage is permanent.

Vitamin B12 is found almost exclusively in animal products, with the exception of traces in kelp, sunflower seeds, raw wheat germ, and grapes. Any fermented foods also contain significant amounts of vitamin B12 and it is with these sources that the informed vegan supplements his or her diet. One  would need to eat 1 to 2 lb of comfrey per day  to get adequate vitamin B12.

Folic acid deficiency is most commonly caused by a diet deficient in raw green vegetables and foods, which contains insufficient vitamin C to aid absorption. Vitamin C is also a factor in the absorption of essential minerals, including iron and vitamin B12, and helps conserve vitamin E.

Treatment -

Foods rich in Iron - Meat, liver from organically raised cattle, fish, egg yolks, blackstrap molasses, dark green vegetables (like lettuce, spinach, cabbage, broccoli, celery, leeks, cucumbers), dried fruits (such as apricots, apples, beets, carrots, prunes and peers), berries, cherries, bananas, grapes, grape juice and many more.

Foods rich in Vitamin B12 -Meat, fish, eggs, comfrey, bitter almonds, and the seeds in stone fruits such as apple seeds, prunes etc, fermented foods such as yogurt, grapes and miso, sunflower seeds, brewer’s yeast and spirulina.

Foods rich in Folic Acid - Dark green vegetables, yeast, liver, lentils, beans, grains and Spirulina. 

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