How to treat iron deficiency anemia? Five steps

Iron is one of the important trace elements needed by the human body. If it is lacking, it can easily lead to iron deficiency anemia, which will affect human health and life. So how should iron deficiency anemia be treated?

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A. Increase animal food intake

The direct way to prevent/treat iron deficiency or iron deficiency anemia is to increase dietary iron intake, mainly by consuming more iron-rich animal foods: such as pork liver, lean meat, eggs, animal whole blood, poultry, fish, etc. Vegetables do not contain high amounts of iron and their bioavailability is low. Iron deficiency anemia can be improved by increasing the intake of animal food, but it will also bring about problems of excess energy, protein, and lipids, so the iron supplementation diet must be moderate.

B. Eat more foods rich in vitamin C

Fresh vegetables and fruits are rich in vitamin C, which can increase the digestion and absorption rate of iron in the diet. Therefore, to prevent iron deficiency anemia, you should eat fresh vegetables and fruits regularly to promote the absorption of iron in the intestines.

‍C. Iron-fortified foods

Some iron-fortified foods currently on the market are also effective measures to improve iron nutrition, such as iron-fortified soy sauce and iron-fortified flour. People who are prone to iron deficiency, such as pregnant women, nursing mothers, infants, the elderly, and patients with gastrointestinal diseases, should supplement with iron-fortified foods or take iron supplements. ‍

D. Reduce factors that affect iron absorption

Phytates, oxalates, carbonates and phosphates in plant foods can affect the absorption of iron. When eating vegetables rich in oxalate, you can blanch them in boiling water before cooking to reduce the oxalic acid content in the vegetables; the phytic acid-rich flour can be fermented to reduce the phytic acid content. Tannic acid in tea and polyphenols in coffee and cocoa can also affect the absorption of iron. People who are prone to iron deficiency, such as infants, pregnant women, nursing mothers, the elderly, and patients with gastrointestinal diseases should not eat or eat less of the above foods. Certain diseases, such as chronic digestive system diseases, parasitic infections, etc., may affect the absorption and utilization of iron. For iron deficiency caused by disease, iron should be supplemented in a timely manner in combination with the treatment of the primary disease.

E. Oral iron supplementation

After nutritional evaluation combined with clinical characteristics and physiological and biochemical examinations, if it is determined that trace elements are deficient and cannot be supplemented by daily diet, nutritional supplements can be taken in appropriate amounts, but the clinician's instructions should be strictly followed to avoid overdose. When iron is deficient, oral iron supplements such as ferrous sulfate, iron dextran, ferrous gluconate, and sorbitol iron can be used.