Anemia is a common condition that make everyday life difficult. It leaves you feeling tired, weak and lightheaded. The good news is that ensuring you get the right vitamins and minerals goes a long way to treat the condition.
What are the best multivitamins for anemia? Read on to find out.
What is Anemia?
Anemia is a condition that occurs when the body doesn’t have enough red blood cells. It also arises as a result of low haemoglobin. Haemoglobin is the part of the blood cell which enables transport of oxygen around your body. (source)
There are many different types of anemia. The one you have most likely heard of is iron deficiency anemia. Iron deficiency anemia is the most commonly occurring, but other types include vitamin deficiency anemia and sickle cell anemia.
When you have anemia, your organs cannot function properly as they’re not receiving enough oxygen. This will lead to symptoms like fatigue, shortness of breath, headaches and even heart palpitations. (source)
Anemia is the most common blood condition in the US and can affect anyone of any age. However, women of childbearing age are most frequently affected by anemia due to blood loss during menstruation.
Many pregnant women also experience anemia at some point as the fetus takes most of your iron stores. If you don’t take in enough iron you will become deficient. This is why pregnant women must have their blood tested periodically.
What Causes Anemia?
There are a number of reasons why anemia may occur. People with chronic diseases are often susceptible to anemia. Other causes include poor diet, blood loss and certain medications. (source)
As your bone marrow depends on iron to create haemoglobin, low iron levels are the most common cause of iron deficiency anemia.
In addition, our body requires vitamin B-12 to create healthy blood cells. Without enough B-12 from our diet, your blood cell count may be low. This is another common cause of anemia.
Sickle cell anemia is an inherited condition which affects sufferers from birth. It causes red blood cells to take an irregular shape and die early, leaving you chronically short of red blood cells.
Who Should Use Multivitamins for Anemia?
If you are showing symptoms of anemia, using a multivitamin supplement that contains vitamin B-12 and iron is a good treatment choice. Many cases of anemia are mild and some, like those during pregnancy, are even classed as normal.
However, if you have severe, persistent symptoms, I recommend getting checked by your physician. Although multivitamins can be beneficial for most people to take a multivitamin due to today’s nutritionally lacking diets, it is not a miracle cure.
If you’ve previously been diagnosed with mild anemia, turning to a multivitamin for anemia at the first sign is a good idea. However, if you are experiencing symptoms for the first time, your doctor will need to ensure there’s nothing more sinister underlying.
How to Choose a Multivitamin for Anemia
If you want to take a multivitamin to help your anemia there are a few factors to consider. First of all, it is important to find a good quality supplement that includes appropriate levels of vitamin B-12 and iron.
Research has also shown that changes in the levels of A, C, E and folic acid also have a role to play in the condition.
For example, vitamin A improves the body’s ability to absorb iron (source), therefore, a multivitamin supplement can be beneficial rather than solely an iron supplement.
Remember that dairy can hinder the absorption of iron. Therefore, avoiding dairy products for up to 60 minutes after you take a supplement will help you absorb as much as possible. In addition, vitamin C aids absorption of iron. (source) Try taking your supplement with a glass of orange juice.
It’s vital to always keep your iron supplements out of the reach of children. Overdosing on iron is the number one cause of fatal poisoning in children under 6 years in the US. Find a safe place out of reach of little hands.
I have looked at the multivitamin supplements on the market which could benefit someone suffering from anemia. There are a huge amount of supplements to choose from, but I’ve narrowed it down to five which I’m going to share with you today.
Our Choice
My choice for the best multivitamin for anemia is Zahlers’ product. Not only does it have everything you need to aid the treatment of anemia, but it is made in the USA at a certified GMP facility, which gives me confidence in the quality of the product.
The fact it is certified kosher really impresses me. For so many people, finding kosher or halal options is incredibly important. It is great to see companies catching up with this and manufacturing products which are suitable for everyone.
Also,the price is right. If you are going to be using a supplement long term, it’s important that it won’t break the bank.
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