Abstract: Supplementing nutrition may not necessarily cure anemia, and finding the right cause is the key. Ms. Wang, who loves meat, is not thin, but suffers from anemia for many years. Can anemia be treated by supplementing nutrition alone?

Abstract: supplementing nutrition may not necessarily treat anemia, finding the right cause is the key.

Ms. Wang, who loves to eat meat, is not thin, but has suffered from anemia for many years. She took iron tonic medicine for a long time, but her health has not improved. It was not until the hematologist of Xinhua Hospital that reminded her: "Iron supplementation drugs need to be taken with VC. Drink less tea every day, and only one cup of coffee is limited to one cup per day!" One month later, Ms. Wang's test form finally had no "arrow" with abnormal indicators. What patients with anemia ask the most is: "What should I take to supplement it?" Can anemia be treated by supplementing nutrition alone? In fact, when treating anemia, finding the cause is the first priority. There are three common causes of

anemia: the first reason is that the production of red blood cells has decreased. The lack of hematopoietic raw materials is a common "culprit" in this problem. Iron, folic acid , and vitamin B12 are the main raw materials for hematopoiesis. Deficiencies caused by various reasons will cause anemia. Other causes of decreased erythrocyte production include: hematopoietic stem cell disease, lack of erythropoietin, etc.

The second reason is that too many red blood cells are lost, which means that there is bleeding somewhere. Common bleeding sites include gastrointestinal tract, respiratory tract, etc., as well as menstrual bleeding in women. Chronic bleeding often leads to nutrient loss and causes nutritional anemia. The last reason for

is that red blood cells are damaged too much, that is, hemolysis. jaundice , skin itching, darkening of urine color, and some diseases will have soy sauce-colored urine.

From this we can see that what is truly related to nutrition is nutritional anemia, including deficiency of iron, folic acid or vitamin B12. Among them, iron deficiency anemia is the most common. The demand for iron is common in infants, adolescents or pregnant women. If supplements are insufficient, it is easy to lead to anemia; secondly, there is an hindrance in the absorption of iron, mainly patients with gastric surgery, which will affect the absorption of iron; most importantly, excessive iron loss, excessive menstrual periods in women, and chronic gastrointestinal bleeding in men or postmenopausal women will cause this problem. Deficiencies of

Folic acid or vitamin B12 are relatively rare. Vegetables and fruits contain a lot of folic acid, and improper cooking will lead to folic acid deficiency; meat, fish, and animal viscera are rich in vitamin B12, and absolute vegetarians may experience vitamin B12 deficiency. In addition, some medications or gastrointestinal diseases may also cause folic acid or vitamin B12 deficiency.

On the basis of etiology treatment, supplementing nutrients can help correct nutritional anemia mainly based on iron deficiency anemia. The cause is crucial. Patients with excessive menstruation should regulate their menstruation. Patients with chronic gastrointestinal bleeding should go to the gastroenterology department for treatment in time. Chronic bleeding is stopped, and iron supplementation and nutrition are effective.

contains a large amount of iron in the liver, whole blood and meat of animals. Vegetables such as black fungus, spinach, etc. also contain a certain amount of iron. If the patient needs iron supplementation, these foods can be supplemented appropriately. It is particularly important to remind: patients with iron deficiency anemia should try to avoid drinking tea or coffee when supplementing iron, as both may affect the absorption of iron.

hematologists recommend that for patients with anemia, they should first find the cause of the disease and clarify whether it is nutritional anemia and iron deficiency anemia; if it is iron deficiency anemia, they should further find the cause of iron deficiency anemia. While treating the cause, supplementing iron agent or supplementing iron-rich foods can correct the anemia. For patients with non-nutritional anemia, supplementing nutrition is not helpful.

The author is , chief physician of hematology department of Shanghai Xinhua Hospital HAO Siguo , attending physician Li Zhichao