Vegetables that Prevent Anemia

Anemia is a condition where your body does not produce enough red blood cells or has a problem producing the right number or shape of red blood cells. Red blood cells are used to carry oxygen throughout the body.

With low red blood cell count or low hemoglobin count, you will start to see symptoms of anemia. If either red blood cell count or hemoglobin count is low, your body will show you that it has a problem by giving specific signals that usually show up as mild to moderate medical symptoms.

Although most cases of anemia are somewhat mild, in extreme cases, anemia can lead to significant health problems, including heart problems and an increased risk for death. You can reduce your chances of becoming anemic by adding these vegetables that prevent anemia to your diet.

Symptoms and Risk Factors for Anemia

Most cases of anemia are caused by one of three things:

• Blood loss
• Blood cell destruction
• Deficient production in hemoglobin or anemia

Certain traumas, injuries, and diseases can cause anemia, and if this is the kind of anemia you have, you will require a special form of treatment to reverse anemia. However, the most common form of anemia is triggered by vitamin deficiencies. This is usually caused by not eating enough vitamins or by genetic defects that make nutrient absorption harder.

Iron-deficient anemia is the most common form of the condition in the United States, followed by deficiencies in folic acid and vitamin B12.

Vegetables that Prevent Anemia

If you are showing any of the symptoms of anemia, getting the right vegetable intake can make a huge difference in your symptoms. Combined with additional supplements if you have anemia, adding these vitamin-rich foods will eliminate any existing symptoms of anemia and prevent it from coming back.

The following vegetables have high concentrations of the vitamins necessary to produce healthy red blood cells, boost nutrient absorption, and increase hemoglobin production.

Spinach

Most people already know that spinach is high in iron, but it is also high in other vitamins that can help prevent anemia. In addition to iron, spinach is also high in vitamin C and folic acid. Just half a cup of boiled spinach contains about 20 percent of your daily iron needs. Try eating spinach leaves in every salad, sautéing spinach as a side dish, and adding spinach leaves to soups.

Beets

Beets are rich in many vitamins and nutrients, including antioxidants that can keep your blood healthy. Beets are not only incredibly high in iron, but they also contain high levels of vitamin C. Beets have an earthy flavor that many people dislike, which makes them somewhat of a challenge to eat, but there are several delicious ways to enjoy beets.

Boil beets along with carrots for a delicious side dish. Crush raw beets in a juicer and add to fruit juice for a powerful nutrient boost. Mash beets and serve them with butter, salt, and pepper-like mashed potatoes. Mix beet leaves in a salad. Purchase pickled beets and eat them in place of traditional pickles.

Peanuts

Peanuts are not precisely a vegetable, but they are incredibly helpful in fighting anemia. Peanuts are high in iron and are an excellent way to boost your iron content since peanuts are added to many foods. Try eating peanuts by sprinkling them over salads, eating a peanut butter sandwich a couple of times a week (great for the budget, too!), or just eating a tablespoon of peanut butter as a snack.

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are high in vitamin C. Vitamin C does not directly fight anemia, but it does boost the nutrient-absorbing ability of the body. Vitamin C is also a powerful antioxidant, which can help produce healthier red blood cells that are the correct size, shape, and have the right lifespan. If you don't want to eat raw tomatoes, you can eat tomato sauce, drink tomato juice, or eat tomato soup once a week.

Soybeans

Soybean may not be helpful for every health concern, but they are high in vitamins and iron. However, soybeans do contain a substance known as phytic acid, which can reduce your body's absorption of iron. If you eat a lot of soybeans, you will want to make sure you soak the beans in water overnight before consuming them or only eating them in fermented form. Soybeans make a delicious snack and addition to stir-fry and salads.

Beans

All beans are high in iron (as is most food grown in the ground). One cup of beans can contain up to 7 mg of iron. If you find the consumption of beans a little boring, try adding them to stir-fry meals, puree them into a dip, or cook them in a soup with onions and sausage. Cooked beans also make a tasty addition to salads and are a great way to add protein to any meal.

Lentils

Lentils are surprisingly high in iron and other nutrients that prevent anemia. Lentils contain about 6 mg of iron per cup. Lentils are also high in fiber, which can help prevent overeating. Lentils can be prepared traditionally in a soup, or you can add them to salads, cooks them into chili, or even mix them in ground beef.

Chickpeas

Just like lentils, chickpeas are also high in iron and other anemia-fighting nutrients. Chickpeas contain about 5 mg of iron in each cup. Chickpeas are delicious mixed into hummus, added to salads, cooked into soups, and added to pasta dishes.

Potatoes

Potatoes are high in iron, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, and manganese. Potatoes absorb the nutrients from the ground, so potatoes grown in nutrient-rich soil are higher in nutrients. It is the skin of potatoes that hold the most nutrients. If you are eating potatoes to prevent and fight anemia, make sure to eat the skin.

You can eat potatoes by cooking the skins along with some herbs and cheese as a side dish, mixing the skins in with mashed potatoes, and baking potato "fries." Just make sure to wash the potato skins well before eating.

Broccoli

Broccoli contains folic acid, vitamin C, and iron, all necessary for the prevention of anemia. Broccoli will fill any nutrient gaps left by other foods. The best thing about broccoli is that it is delicious cooked in many different ways. If you are stumped for a new way to cook broccoli, try grilling it, eating it raw in a salad, roasting it in the oven, or adding it to a veggie smoothie.

Brussels Sprouts

Just like broccoli, Brussels sprouts contain iron, vitamin C, and folic acid. Brussels sprouts contain 6 percent of your daily iron needs in one cup. Brussels sprouts are delicious when grilled, sautéed with butter, roasted in the oven, and blanched in boiling water until they turn bright green.

Peppers

Bell peppers (red, yellow, orange, and green) are one of the foods highest in vitamin C. Bell peppers contain a tiny amount of iron, but one bell pepper contains over 150% of the vitamin C you need to eat in a day. Bell peppers can be eaten both raw and cooked, making them one of the most versatile vegetables in the garden. Add raw peppers to salads or eat as a snack. Cooked bell peppers can be added to stir-fry meals, soups, and even baked in the oven.

Mushrooms

Mushrooms are high in iron and B vitamins. Mushrooms are an amazing vegetable to eat in the prevention of anemia. Mushrooms not only help reduce the chances of developing anemia, but they also take on the flavor of what you cook them with. Mushrooms can even be used as a meat replacement for meatless meals.

Eat mushrooms raw or cooked for a different taste experience. Even adding mushroom to pizza can make a small difference in the amount of iron you get each week. Try to eat at least two servings of mushrooms a week.

Adding Anemia-Preventing Vegetables to Your Diet

Add the above foods to your diet and you will be well on your way to preventing anemia and keeping it from returning if you have any of the signs of anemia. One of the best ways to ensure you are eating enough iron-rich foods is to combine several vegetables at once during lunches and suppers. Mix mushrooms, peppers, beans, spinach, tomatoes, and potatoes in a soup for a hearty, healthy, and anemia-fighting meal.

Try to eat at least two servings of iron-rich foods every day to ensure anemia does not return.

Other Steps to Prevent Anemia

If you already have anemia, adding more vegetables to your diet may work in the long term, but if you are already suffering from anemia, you will need to take steps to reverse anemia fast. The best way to do this is by adding supplements to your diet until your symptoms of anemia fade. The following supplements have been found to eliminate anemia symptoms and boost red blood cell count:

Vitamin B12

Deficiencies in vitamin B12 often cause symptoms of anemia independent of other factors. Some cases of anemia attributed to iron deficiencies may actually be caused by deficiencies in vitamin B12. Getting enough of this vitamin is incredibly important for blood health and overall health.

Zinc

Zinc is a powerful mineral. Not only does zinc boost the immune system and help ensure red blood cells are healthy, but it also helps control how much your body can use nutrients that it receives from foods. Without enough zinc, your body may not be maximizing the amount of nutrients it gets each day.

Copper

Copper is essential for ensuring that your body does not overload on zinc. It is easy to overload both on zinc and copper. With too much of one or the other of zinc or copper, your body is open to a whole host of problems that can interfere with nutrient absorption and throw the immune system out of balance. Zinc and copper should always be taken together.

Selenium

Selenium deficiencies can lead to symptoms of anemia. Some forms of anemia are actually triggered by selenium deficiencies. Proper selenium intake is necessary for a complete reversal of anemia.

Vegetables Can Prevent Anemia

If you have a tendency toward low nutrient absorption, the added consumption of vegetables that prevent anemia can make a huge difference in symptoms. Along with supplements, anemia reversal can happen in just a few weeks. After your supplement regimen is over, continue eating these vitamin-rich foods to prevent anemia from ever returning.