9 Efforts to Prevent Anemia that are Important to Know

Anemia is a condition which occurs when the body lacks red blood cells. Red blood cells play a vital role in maintaining the supply of nutrients and oxygen to every cell, tissue and organ of the body so that they always function properly. When you are deficient in red blood, you can run the risk of common anemia symptoms such as fatigue and weakness, pale skin, and difficulty breathing easily. So, what are the proper preventive steps to avoid anemia?

What are the steps to prevent anemia?

types of anemia

When diagnosed with anemia, your body doesn’t get enough oxygenated blood. As a result, you may feel tired or weak quickly, and easily get dizzy or have a headache.

Each type of anemia has symptoms that can be debilitating and interfere with daily activities, and can even lead to complications of anemia.

Although there are several treatment options for anemia, preventing anemia is certainly far better than having to overcome it. Here are some steps to prevent anemia that you can take:

1. Eat iron-rich foods

Iron is needed by the body to produce hemoglobin in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is the substance that gives your red color and allows blood cells to carry oxygen throughout your body.

Therefore, eating more foods high in iron can be an easy way to prevent anemia. Some foods that contain iron include:

Lean meat
Egg
Green vegetables, such as spinach and mustard greens
Iron fortified cereals

According to Nutritional Adequacy Rate (RDA) from the Indonesian Ministry of Health, adults need at least 26 mg of iron per day to prevent anemia from recurring.

2. Eat foods containing vitamin B12

Another way to prevent anemia is to eat foods high in vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 is an important nutrient that can help maintain healthy nerves, make DNA, and play an important role in the formation of healthy red blood cells.

Still citing the RDA table belonging to the Ministry of Health, adults are advised to meet the needs of 2.6 mcg of vitamin B12 per day as a measure to prevent anemia.

You can get vitamin B12 sources from food, such as:

Animal liver, such as beef and chicken
Sea shells
Fish
Meat
Poultry
Egg
Milk and other dairy products that contain vitamin B12

3. Eat foods containing folic acid

Folic acid (vitamin B9) helps the body makes new cells, including new red blood cells to replace dead red blood cells. That is why folic acid is one of the important nutrients to prevent anemia.

You can get foods that contain folic acid from:

Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
Orange fruit
Peas
Bread
Cereals
Rice
Pasta

4. Eating foods containing vitamin C

Often eating foods or fruits that contain vitamin C can be a way to prevent anemia naturally. Adults need at least 75 mg of vitamin C a day to keep blood cells healthy and other body functions healthy.

Vitamin C plays a role in the absorption of iron in the small intestine. This is the reason people who are deficient in vitamin C are at risk of developing anemia.

5. Give cow’s milk to children from 1 year and over

According to American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), giving cow’s milk to babies can be an effort to prevent anemia from an early age. However, make sure you give your child cow’s milk at the age — at least — from one year onwards.

This is because of formula milk made from cows has a low iron content. Still from AAP, cow’s milk can also irritate the lining of the baby’s intestines, triggering bleeding and loss of iron in the child’s body.

Although the risk is small, babies who consume cow’s milk too quickly can be at risk of iron deficiency. Breast milk is still the best nutritional intake for babies under one year.

However, if due to certain conditions you have to give formula milk to babies who are not yet 1 year old, try giving soy milk to prevent anemia. You may also need to consult a doctor to find the right breastmilk substitute according to your baby’s nutritional needs.

6. Stop drinking alcohol

According to alcohol.org, intoxicating drinks can decrease the production of red blood cells in the bone marrow. This is because alcohol causes the nutrients from other foods to not be absorbed properly by the body. The nutrients that are mostly reduced due to drinking alcohol are generally vitamin B12 and folate.

In fact, vitamin B12 and folic acid are very useful for producing red blood cells. That is why, immediately stop drinking alcohol as a way to prevent anemia.

7. Cook using utensils made of iron

Prevention of anemia can also be done by cooking using iron utensils (flat iron). Iron pots and pans will help incorporate iron levels into your cooking.

Although it is not certain what the relationship is, several studies have found that iron pans or pans can release iron from cooked food.

However, not all cooking ingredients can release iron when cooked in an iron skillet. How to prevent anemia can only be done in foods that taste sour, for example, tomato sauce and dishes that are processed with vinegar, lemon, or lime juice.

Efforts to prevent anemia will have an optimal impact if ingredients that taste sour are added last, just before the food is cooked, and served immediately.

8. Using hormonal birth control

Hormonal imbalances can cause the uterus to thicken excessively. As a result, you experience more severe menstrual bleeding. Losing a lot of blood during your period can make you prone to anemia.

Hormonal birth control helps prevent menstrual anemia by balancing the hormones in your body. Quoted from the Mayo Clinic, the birth control device you are using contains hormones that can thin the uterus so you don’t bleed excessively.

9. Overcoming health problems that cause it

Severe bleeding during menstruation can cause anemia. Therefore, address the causes of severe bleeding, such as uterine tumors, polyps, impaired ovarian function, use of non-hormonal birth control, and cancer can prevent anemia from coming back.

The key to preventing anemia during menstruation is maintaining iron adequacy and overcoming the factors that cause heavy menstruation.

Although some of the efforts to prevent anemia above are quite easy to do, unfortunately some types of anemia cannot be prevented. Anemia due to genetic disorders, such as sickle cell anemia and thalassemia are examples.

However, don’t be discouraged just yet. The ways to prevent anemia above can also help so that the symptoms you feel do not recur or get worse. Try to consult a doctor regarding your complaint in order to get the appropriate treatment.