Symptoms to look for are,
- Fatigue
- Dizziness
- Pale skin
- Shortness of breath
- Headaches
Anaemia can be caused by various factors . Lack of iron or certain vitamins such as folic acid and vitamin B12 are the common factors that caused anaemia.
Iron-deficiency anaemia
The amount of iron that we need depends on your age and sex. The best sources of iron come from red meat. We get a good proportion of iron from non-animal sources too.
Sources of Iron include:
- Red meat and offal - Eg: Beef, Lamb, Pork, Kidneys, Liver, Heart.
- Fish and shellfish - Eg: Sardines, Pilchards, Crab, Shrimps, Mmussels.
- Eggs.
- Cereal and cereal products - Eg: Bread, Rice , corn flakes and Oatcakes.
- Nuts and seeds - Eg: Hazelnuts, Macadamia nuts, Peanuts, Pecans, Walnuts, Sesame seeds, Sunflower seeds.
- Green leafy vegetables - Eg: Broccoli, Spinach, Watercress
- Beans and pulses - Eg: Baked beans, Peas, Lentils, Chickpeas, Black-eyed beans
- Dried fruit - Eg: Raisins, Apricots, Prunes, Currants, Figs.
Folic acid-deficiency anaemia
As usual the cause is not eating enough foods which contain folic acid.
Sources of folic acid include:
- Fresh, Raw Or Cooked Brussels Sprouts, Asparagus, Spinach, Kale, Broccoli, Spring Beans, Green Beans, Cabbage, Cauliflowe.
- Cooked black-eyed beans
- Breakfast cereals (with folic acid added to them).
- Liver (note, pregnant women should avoid liver).
- Kidneys, yeast and beef extracts.