Jeff Bushman has studied natural health for over 30 years (though he looks far too young for that!), and has advised family and friends for years. He's now established a practice as a lay herbalist. If you're in or plan to be in the metro Phoenix area, you can call for an appointment at 480-628-9786. Otherwise, you're welcome to e-mail him or call, and counseling can be arranged. Simple questions will be responded to as time allows, without charge, and for fee-based clients, a sliding scale is available. No medical advice is provided here, and none will be provided. What is given in this blog is information regarding what other people have used as folk and/or natural remedies. Readers should always check with their own health provider before choosing to follow any of the strategies outlined here or in conversation or e-mail communications with the author. The author is not and shall not be liable for any advice taken or misconstrued.
We need to talk about what not to do first.
If you’ve been diagnosed with anemia and you’re a woman who hasn’t experienced menopause, and isn’t about to, you have less reason to be concerned with your doctor’s instructions than the rest of us do.
Anemia is a deficiency of red blood cells. Doctors usually recommend taking iron pills to everyone who has that condition. Actually iron – if you can absorb and metabolize it(in other words, if your body can use it) – will actually increase your red blood cell count, and make you feel a lot better.
If you have anemia, you know that it can cause extreme fatigue and a feeling of being cold all the time (unless you’re in Alaska or Minnesota, in which case you really are cold much of the time, even without anemia), among other symptoms.
The problem with taking iron for men and post-menopausal women (because they no longer have the protection that estrogen seems to provide), is that there’s a high correlation between taking supplemental iron and the incidence of heart attacks.
So for men and post-menopausal women taking iron pills isn’t usually the best course, but physicians seem to prescribe them as if there’s no risk at all. My older brother and my mother have both been prescribed iron pills, but they’re just two examples.
If iron pills aren’t good and you’re anemic, then, what can you do? I’m glad I asked.
If you’re a meat eater and you’re anemic the problem is clearly NOT an insufficient intake of iron. Most meat is full of it (and vegetarians will give more meaning to that phrase than was intended). The problem is with ABSORBTION of the iron that you consume. Many young folks have that problem, but as we get older many of us have the problem of malabsorbtion of a variety of nutrients. The limitation on the ability to absorb iron, however, shows up in some pretty noteworthy symptoms.
To help your body absorb and metabolize iron, you probably need more Vitamin C. It’s also a good idea to cook with cast iron pans. OK, I’ll explain.
Vitamin C helps the body absorb and metabolize iron. As you use more iron, you get more red blood cells and thus no anemia. If you have anemia and a test is run to see if you’re deficient in Vitamin C, the test is very likely (despite what I’ve just said) to show that you have adequate stores of that nutrient. And the test will be wrong.
That’s because when tests are done for Vitamin C, they want to make sure that you’re not so deficient that you’re at risk for a disease called “scurvy.” No one in modern societies gets scurvy anymore, because you have to be extremely deficient in that vitamin, and you almost can’t help getting some Vitamin C in your diet.
BUT. The big “but” is that not being so deficient that you’re going to get scurvy doesn’t mean you have enough to avoid anemia. If you have anemia and you’re not a vegetarian (and probably even if you are), it’s not because you’re not getting enough iron.
So how much Vitamin C should you take? That’s a tougher question, but it certainly wouldn’t hurt to start with 500 milligrams (mg) in the morning and the same amount in the evening. While your body will use the vitamin better if it’s taken with a meal, if eating isn’t convenient, take the C anyway.
After a week or so of that dosage, you can add another 500 mg at lunch. After another 7-10 days, you can make your morning dose 1000 mg, and increase to 1000 mg per dose after a 7-10 day period at each level.
Three thousand milligrams a day will be very unlikely to hurt you in any fashion. I take much more on a regular basis and I’m a non-anemic vegetarian who’s also a distance runner. I mention all of that because being a vegetarian I would otherwise be at risk for anemia. You can increase your dosage of Vitamin C to no more than 1000 mg per hour, if you wish, and there are many other benefits to that intake, some of which we’ll cover in another posting. If, however, you increase your intake of Vitamin C too rapidly, your stomach will let you know it’s had more than enough, at which point you need to cut back a bit and stay on a smaller intake for a while longer before moving up.
But when it comes to anemia, your increased Vitamin C intake will make a big difference.
I also said I’d talk about cast iron pans. Such cookware, when it’s not coated with something else on the cooking surface is also good for you to avoid anemia. Some iron will get into your food and therefore into your body. Unlike iron supplements, there’s no known correlation between eating food cooked in cast iron pots and pans and increased risk for heart attacks.
Remember, friends don’t let friends take iron supplements.
If you think you might be interested in a completely different subject covered by the same author, try http://JeffonPolitics.blogspot.com, OR http://JeffOnRadio.blogspot.com. He is also the author of the soon-to-be-available "Mobile Millionaire," a book on investments in mobile homes, for small investors.
