Anemia...help!?!
Answers: i am a vegetarian and i think i mite have anemia kauz of it?? how long would you have to be one to get anemia?? what are the symptoms??
there are many types of anemia. vegetarians would most likely suffer from iron-deficiency anemia (which is also the most common type) due to diet. it is a relatively slow developing condition. symptoms include pallor (pale skin), weakness, fatigue and sometimes difficulty breathing. a strange craving for non-food items, such as clay, chalk, or soil may develop (this condition is called "pica"). i would try adding more iron to your diet in the form of leafy green vegetables, beans, lentils, enriched cereals/pastas or an iron supplement. fruits and vegetables high in vitamin C also increase the absorption of iron, so be sure you are getting plenty of those.
the symptoms of anemia can be pretty generalized and vague so if you are really feeling crummy i would recommend going to the doctor. they can run a few simple tests to confirm anemia. good luck!
This can happen with vegetarian diets.
Usually this happens over many months.
Symptoms - you might look pale, you'd be tired or lethargic
Have a read of the wiki page
signs of anemia are fatigue,headache,heart palpitations,craving ice,...or other non food items.
get your blood checked...
A list of symptoms of anemia from wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anemia#Sign...
A doctor could give you a very simple blood test to see if you have anemia.
In the meantime, I would start taking a good multi-vitamin daily (if you're not already). They sell vegetarian vitamins online and at Whole Foods.
Spinach, soybeans and fortified cereals are also good sources of iron.
Before you make a diet change like becoming vegetarian, it is a good idea to read up on how to make sure you're getting all the nutrients you need in a day.
It's great that you enjoy a vegetarian lifestyle, but you still have to fuel the bod with what IT needs...esp. proteins & iron, which can get slacked with a veg diet...
Supplement...I found an awesome iron supp that doesn't cause constipation (which most do & this is a huge health no-no!!!)...it's called "HEMA-PLEX". It's a multi-nutrient, vegetarian made, and supports healthful blood all around...you'll find it, or can have the owner(s) get it at your local natural food shop.
Anemia can cause fatigue, lack of focus, and a general feeling of the blahs...what's happening is that your blood is not strong enough to carry nutrients throughout your body.
This can occur very shortly after the body is not fueled properly. You've probably noticed your skin, esp. your face, is not bright looking, and you have dark circles under your eyes...your filter organs are not working up to par (liver, kidneys, bowels)...an effect of anemia.
When you start an iron supplement, you'll notice that your bowel movements are very dark & tarry looking...this is normal.
Get crackin' Sweety, this is not something to ignore. You should be careful not to over-do the dosages, either...too much of anything has consequences. Do yourself a great favor & have a blood work-up done...then again after 3 months on the supps...it'll make you feel more confident about what you're doing.
Good Journey!!!
I'd say it's more likely that you have anemia because of how you have approached vegetarianism, not because of vegetarianism itself.
I don't know how long the science world thinks it takes to develop anemia, but I know I start feeling pallid and fatigued after around a week of not consuming enough iron.
I expect you can fix this with some careful balancing of your vegetarian diet, here are some plant-based sources of iron:
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nu...
The best tip I can give you is to always eat food with vitamin C in at the same time as eating something with iron - it can increase the absorption of iron by up to around 3 times. This is the main reason why iron deficiency is just as common in meat eaters as it is in vegetarians and vegans - we have often have more vitamin C in our diets.
Also, I would recommend purchasing an iron skillet/frying pan - they add iron to whatever you cook in them.
Good luck, and keep up with the vegetarian diet, you're doing a good thing.
Nathalie got your anemia symptoms correct. SPots on your tongue are a sign of zinc deficiency. Add more variety of nuts, legumes, lentils, dried fruits and dark leafy greens to your diet and you will be fine. The darker the green or red lettuce is the more vitamins it has in it. Iceberg lettuce has almost no nutritional value at all.
The symptoms of anemia are:
pale skin
feeling tired all the time
tachycardia (unusual rapid heart beat)
difficulty in concentrating
If you are following a correct veggy diet you shouldn't get anemia.
Listen to Natalie and MJ....
Liquid Chlorophly also builds red blood cells. Just add a little to water.
Came across this website.... Apperently bananas are high in iron and can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia. Hope it is of help. Check out the squidoo website below