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Diet and fitness guide for anemic patients

Your guide to what to eat, how to exercise if you are an anemic.

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Written By: Priyanka Ganwani | Published : October 14, 2014 6:54 PM IST

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Anemia is a blood disorder. In such a condition, fewer red blood cells are produced. These blood cells are responsible to carry oxygen to the brain and various parts of body. The most important component and protein of the red blood cells is hemoglobin which is required to carry oxygen from lungs to body's cells through the bloodstream. Due to lack of iron, the body is unable to produce sufficient hemoglobin so as to carry oxygen, as a result a person's energy is drained out sooner than usual.

In such a case, regular fitness and exercising should be taken care of along with a well-planned meal. Dietitian Khushboo Sahijwani says, 'About 20% of women, 50% of pregnant women, and 3% of men do not have enough iron in their body. The solution, in many cases is to consume more foods high in iron.'

Dr Bharat Jagiasi, Critical Care Consultant, Sunrise Hospital from Mumbai says, 'Studies have shown that athletes or people who exercise daily have decreased iron stores as lots of iron is utilized during regular exercise. They should have a diet rich in iron or might have to take iron supplements.'

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Here is how anemic patients can manage their fitness regime better along with diet tips to help complement it:

Precautions to be taken during and before exercise

Your fitness regime could be a challenge depending on the levels and severity of anemia or iron deficiency you suffer from. However there are some basic rules that you have to follow. Dr Bharat mentions some dos and don'ts before and while a rigorous exercising routine:

  1. Do not overexert during the workout as the heart has to compensate for excess supply to the organs.
  2. If during exercise one experiences chest pain, breathlessness or palpitation (excessively thumping heart rate), contact your doctor immediately.
  3. One should not go to high altitudes.

Khushboo advises, 'Aerobic exercises such as swimming, running and biking can help anemic women better deal with the condition. The key to exercising with anemia is to find appropriate exercises that don't drain you of all your energy but still provide aerobic and anaerobic benefits.'

Diet tips for anemic patients

Balance is key

You may have to be very particular with what you eat along with how your fitness regime is on a daily basis. Khushboo says, 'Anemic patients should balance their fitness regime along with a balanced diet which is appropriate in carbohydrates, proteins and essential fatty acids and not just concentrate on foods rich in iron and vitamin C.'

Maintain time intervals

It is important to maintain time intervals for your food to be digested well and not turn into fat. Khushboo says,'Time intervals between meals should not be more than 3-4 hours. Mid-meals should be equally emphasized along with main meals. A good pre-workout snack 45 minutes before should help in boosting the energy during workouts.'

Don't forget to stay hydrated

Not drinking enough water would only add to further complications. Khushboo suggests, 'Keep yourself well hydrated. Drink 2-3 litres of fluids a day.'

For better consumption of iron-rich foods and for the desired results out of it, knowing the dietary facts of iron is crucial. Khushboo explains, 'When you eat food with iron, iron is absorbed into your body mainly through the upper part of your small intestine. There are two forms of dietary iron: heme and non-heme. Heme iron is derived from hemoglobin. It is found in animal foods that originally contained hemoglobin, such as red meats, fish, and poultry. Your body absorbs the most iron from heme sources.'

Food combinations to increase iron intake

  1. Concentrate on including foods rich in vitamin C along with iron as it helps in iron absorption. These include all citrus fruits, guava, amla, etc.
  2. Use cast-iron cookware, which may increase the iron content of cooked foods.
  3. Don't drink tea and coffee while eating iron-rich foods, since both beverages can impair iron absorption.
  4. Avoid pairing iron-rich foods with certain grains, such as wheat bran, or with veggies such as spinach, rhubarb, chard and beet greens. These foods contain chemical compounds called phytates and oxalates, which impair iron absorption.
  5. Don't mix calcium-rich beverages, like milk and fortified orange juice, with foods that are high in iron, since calcium can also inhibit iron absorption.

Iron-rich foods

Khushboo lists out good sources of iron with different contents of non-heme iron:

  1. Beef or chicken liver, oysters, sardines, chicken, salmon, tuna, ham
  2. Iron in plant foods such as lentils, beans, and spinach is non-heme iron. This is the form of iron added to iron-enriched and iron-fortified foods. Our bodies are less efficient at absorbing non-heme iron, but most dietary iron is non-heme iron.

Sources of non-heme iron, with 3.5 milligrams or more per serving, include:

  1. Breakfast cereals enriched with iron
  2. Cooked beans
  3. Tofu
  4. Pumpkin, sesame, or squash seeds.

Good sources of non-heme iron, with 2.1 milligrams or more per serving, include:

  1. Lima beans, red kidney beans, chickpeas, or split peas
  2. Dried apricots
  3. Baked potato
  4. Broccoli
  5. One-fourth cup of wheat germ

Other sources of nonheme iron, with 0.7 milligrams or more, include:

  1. Peanuts, pecans, walnuts, pistachios, roasted almonds, roasted cashews, or sunflower seeds
  2. Dried seedless raisins, peaches, or prunes
  3. Spinach
  4. Green pepper
  5. Pasta

Image source: Getty Images

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Priyanka Ganwani

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