Diet Plan For Pernicious Anemia

This article is about Diet Plan For Pernicious Anemia. I hope i will be helpful for you all.The following diet plan will be helpful for those who suffer from pernicious anemia. The disease is tricky and often misdiagnosed. In fact, it may take time for a doctor to diagnose it. This particular health problem develops when the absorption of vitamin B12 becomes deficient in the body. Apart

from this, other symptoms may include: a tingling sensation in toes, numbness in fingers or hands, memory problems, depression etc. Pernicious anemia is a condition in which your body lacks B-12. This can lead to malnutrition, anemia, fatigue, memory loss and other complications. Below is a diet plan for pernicious anemia. Pernicious anemia is a rare autoimmune condition that could turn

deadly if not well managed. What are the health benefits of eating healthy? Eating right and maintaining a balanced diet are very important in order to live a healthy and happy life. A well-balanced diet can help you stay at healthy weight, feel better, and live longer. This also means eating a diet rich in nutrients. In fact, almost everything that your body needs to remain healthy is found in food, from basic nutrients like protein and calcium to other beneficial substances like antioxidants.

Diet Plan For Pernicious Anemia

In this article we are going to talk about diet plan for pernicious anemia. I will try to explain different supplements which are necessary for pernicious anemia, the symptoms of pernicious anemia, precautions and food to be eaten for pernicious anemia. This diet was created for pernicious anemia patients who suffer from vitamin b12 deficiency.

Pernicious anemia, by definition, is when your lack of B12 is the result of your body being unable to absorb B12 through the gut. This happens because of autoimmune attacks on either your IF (intrinsic factor, a protein that drives the absorption of B12), or the gastric parietal cells, which produce IF in the gut in the first place.

When you have pernicious anemia, no diet in the world is going to get enough B12 into your bloodstream, cells, and tissues. You will most likely need a lifelong B12 shot therapy to live a good, normal life, with as few PA symptoms as possible.

However, diet does have a strong impact on health. Top scientists believe the main cause of autoimmune diseases is leaky gut. This is an ailment where your intestinal barrier function is flawed, making way for proteins, toxins, and other particles to get into your blood circulation. The immune system reacts to these invaders, and if some of them look like your own tissues, then your body ends up hurting your tissues as well.

How does pernicious anemia affect my body?

The term “pernicious” means harmful, and pernicious anemia causes harm to several body systems:

• Digestive system problems that cause nausea, bloating and weight loss.
• Nervous system damage that causes muscle weakness, numbness or tingling in your hands and feet, memory loss and dementia.
• Heart problems that can cause palpitations (feeling as your heart is beating too fast or skipping beats).
• Weakness and fatigue.

Who is affected by pernicious anemia?

Pernicious anemia typically affects people aged 60 to 80 of Northern European descent. Pernicious anemia is estimated to affect 151 in 100,000 people in the United States.

SYMPTOMS AND CAUSES

What are pernicious anemia symptoms?

Generally speaking, the longer you go without adequate vitamin B12, the more serious your symptoms are. Early on, people may have mild symptoms they may think are caused by other common conditions. Examples include:

• Diarrhea or constipation.
• Lightheadedness when standing up or with exertion.
• Loss of appetite.
• Pale skin (mild jaundice or yellowing of your eyes or skin).
• Shortness of breath (dyspnea), mostly during exercise.
• Heartburn.
• Swollen, red tongue or bleeding gums.

What are examples of pernicious anemia symptoms caused by long-term low vitamin B12 levels?

Long-term low vitamin B12 levels caused by pernicious anemia can affect your nervous system. Symptoms of potential nervous system problems include:

• Confusion.
• Short-term memory loss.
• Depression.
• Loss of balance.
• Numbness and tingling in your hands and feet.
• Problems concentrating.
• Irritability.
• Hallucinations.
• Delusions.
• Optic nerve degeneration that affects your eyesight

AIP: Best Diet for Pernicious Anemia?

The Autoimmune Diet Protocol, described in Dr. Sarah Ballantyne’s book, gets rid of irritants and major offenders to gut health. It’s designed to sooth your immune system, reduce inflammation, and help your body embark on a path of healing.

Remember, pernicious anemia is first and foremost an autoimmune disease.

Did you know?

Gluten, for example, tends to pry open the tight junctions of the gut. This allows the passage of toxins and food particles into the blood flow, which sets off inflammatory and autoimmune feedbacks. It’s no surprise that gluten-free diets seem to help against autoimmune diseases like type 1 diabetes, rheumatoid arthritis, autoimmune hepatitis, and multiple sclerosis.

After plenty of anecdotal evidence, the AIP starts to get academic attention. Check out this study from 2017, where the diet showed potent effects against inflammatory bowel disease. 11 of 15 people who followed the AIP had total remission by the sixth week.

With the AIP, you will start a phase of at least a month, where you will cut out some foods. Then, once you feel a lot better, you will slowly start to add these foods back in your diet – one by one – and try to gauge how your body reacts.

This isn’t just a pernicious anemia diet plan, but a good template for anyone with an autoimmune disorder. And remember, this dietary plan should only supplement your B12 treatment. Never stop your B12 shots if you were tested and diagnosed with PA.

Now, let’s see what you can or can’t eat on the AIP.

Foods to Avoid With Pernicious Anemia AIP

• Grains, i.e. wheat (bread, pasta, etc), rice, corn, barley, oat, bulgur, rye, sorghum, spelt. Also take out grain-like seeds, like buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, millet, teff.
• Legumes, i.e. black beans, kidney beans, fava beans, lima beans, soybeans, green beans, chickpeas, lentils, peanuts.
• Eggs. One of the most common food allergies. When you later add eggs back in, have just the yolks first. Many find the whites irritating but not the yolks.
• Dairy products of any kind, i.e. cheese, milk, cream, yoghurt, butter and ghee.
• Nightshades, i.e. white potatoes, tomatoes, eggplant, all kinds of bell and spicy peppers (including spices like paprika, cayenne, chipotle, chili powder or flakes, etc. As a rule of thumb, no red spices). Also tomatillo, tamarillo, pepino, okra, goji berries, ashwagandha, naranjillas, kutjera, cocona, garden huckleberries, cape gooseberries.
• Nuts, i.e. hazelnut, walnut, macadamia, Brazil nut, chestnut, cashew, pecan, pistachio, pine nut, almond. Coconut is the exception (in fact, it’s actually a fruit).
• Seeds, i.e. sesame, chia, safflower, flex, pumpkin, sunflower, hemp, etc.
• Spices from seeds, i.e. cumin, black pepper, curry, nutmeg, coriander seed, allspice, anise, annatto seed, fennel seed, vanilla beans, caraway, celery seed, mustard, poppy seed, cardamom, green and pink peppercorns, juniper, white pepper, fenugreek.
• Seed oils like canola, soybean, sunflower, grape seed, etc.
• Chocolate (cocoa is a seed).
• Coffee (the coffee bean is a seed).
• Alcohol.
• Dried fruit. Too much sugar, and easy to over-eat.
• Food additives like thickeners, artificial food dyes, emulsifiers, xanthan or guar gums, sodium nitrite, high fructose corn syrup, etc.
• Refined sugars and processed foods.
• Sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, aspartame, etc.
• Algae, i.e. Chlorella, Spirulina.
• NSAIDs (painkillers such as aspirin or ibuprofen), which can harm your gut lining.

Get rid of any other food you know you’re sensitive or allergic to.

Now, what can you eat?

List of Foods to Eat

• Meat, i.e. beef, chicken, fish, shellfish, bison, turkey, elk, pheasant, rabbit, duck, lamb, pork, wild boar, goat, goose, venison, etc. In our opinion, if you want to play it safe, avoid seafood at the beginning, and gradually add it later.
• Organ meats and offal, i.e. liver, kidney, heart, brain, spleen, tongue, tripe. The AIP author suggests 5 times a week or more, but we recommend two or three times at most. Gelatin (from grass-fed animals if you can find it) is also great.
• Fruits of all kinds and colors, i.e. watermelon, banana, apricot, peach, apple, berries, cherry, orange, lemon, grapefruit, fig, date, kiwi, melon, plum, pineapple, persimmon, mango, grape. We advise limiting fructose intake to 2-3 fruits a day. Berries, though, are very low in sugar and can be eaten more liberally.
• Vegetables (except for nightshades), i.e. artichoke, cabbage, kale, chard, spinach, squash, sweet potato (try the Japanese purple ones!), Brussels sprouts, cassava, beet, arugula, mustard greens, bok choy, onion, lettuce, turnips, watercress, cauliflower, leek, parsnip, rutabaga, fennel, asparagus, sea vegetables.
• Mushrooms, i.e. portobello, champignon, shiitake, enoki, oyster mushroom, etc.
• Non-seed fats, i.e. avocado, olives, coconut (and its oil, cream, and milk), animal fats. We advise using olive or avocado oil for salad dressing, and a saturated fat like lard, beef tallow, chicken or duck fat, or coconut or palm oil for sautéing.
• Probiotic foods, like fermented vegetables or fruits (sauerkraut, kimchi, olives, pickles, etc), kombucha, water kefir, and coconut-milk kefir/yoghurt. Important: If you have SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth), avoid all fermented foods other than the ones known to work well with your condition.
• Non-seed herbs & spices, i.e. turmeric, salt, basil, dill, saffron (the only red spice you can have), garlic, sage, cinnamon, rosemary, mint, bay leaf, chives, oregano, cilantro, parsley, thyme, peppermint, ginger, lemon balm, chamomile, chervil, clove, horseradish, lavender, mace, marjoram leaves, tarragon, savory leaves.
• Vinegar. Types like apple cider, balsamic, ume plum, coconut, red or white wine, sherry, and champagne are all good. Without added sugar, of course.
• Honey and maple.
• Water, tea, and broth for drinks.
• Grain-free flours (if you insist), i.e. tapioca, tigernut, coconut, arrowroot, etc.

As you see, lots of options.

Potassium and Folate (Important!)

When you start injecting B12, your anemia will get better and you’ll begin to build red blood cells normally. During the first few months, your potassium levels may drop, so keep an eye on it and eat a lot of potassium-rich foods. Good AIP-friendly sources are sweet potato (with the skin), salmon, watermelon, coconut water, avocado, banana, beet, butternut squash, pomegranate, and dark leafy greens like spinach or kale.

Also, remember that B12 and folate (vitamin B9) need each other in order to function properly. If you’re not on the upper end of the suggested folate range, then supplement with l-methylfolate. This is the best form of folate, much better than folic acid.

How to Reintroduce Foods?

After at least 30 days on the AIP, and until your blood work improves and you feel significantly better, you can start adding foods – one by one – back in the rotation. Go slowly, and give each food three days to cause a reaction (headaches, bloating, mood swings, skin changes, fatigue, etc). If your body reacts, eliminate that food forever.

You may want to steer clear of some foods anyway, even if you’re a healthy person. For example, refined sugars, processed products, food additives, seed oils, most grains and legumes (unless soaked and fermented). They’re not good for anybody.

TOP TIPS

Having vitamin C with iron-rich foods will help to absorb the iron more easily. Serve up meals with plenty of vegetables and fruit or have a glass of orange juice with your meal.

Eating meat at mealtimes can also help to absorb the iron from non-animal sources.

Avoid drinking tea with meals as this can actually reduce the amount of iron that is absorbed. Raw wheat bran can also interfere with the absorption of iron so this should be avoided.

Folic acid deficiency anaemia

A lack of folic acid (folate) is one cause of anaemia. The usual cause is not eating enough foods which contain folic acid. It is treated easily by taking folic acid tablets. Pregnant women should also take extra folic acid to help prevent spina bifida and other related problems in the baby.

Foods high in folic acid
We need around 200 micrograms per day of folic acid. However, during pregnancy an additional 400 micrograms are needed, especially for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is usually taken in the form of a supplement, as it is difficult to obtain this required amount through food alone. Good sources of folic acid include:

• Fresh, raw or cooked Brussels sprouts, asparagus, spinach, kale, broccoli, spring beans, green beans, cabbage, cauliflower, okra, lettuce, parsnips, peas and bean sprouts.
• Cooked black-eyed beans and chickpeas.
• Breakfast cereals (with folic acid added to them).
• Liver (note that pregnant women should avoid liver).
• Kidneys, yeast and beef extracts.
• Brown rice.

To ensure you are getting the amount of folic acid you need, aim to include 2-3 portions of these sources daily.

Moderate amounts of folic acid are also found in foods such as fresh fruit, nuts, cheese, yoghurt, milk, potatoes, bread, brown rice, oats, eggs, salmon and beef.

TOP TIP

Try not to overcook foods containing folic acid. Steam, stir fry or microwave vegetables to prevent them from losing too much folic acid.

If you are deficient in vitamin B12, this can impair the absorption of folic acid and the way it is used in the body.

Vitamin B12 deficiency

It is unusual to have anaemia due to a lack of vitamin B12 in your diet, although strict vegans may be at risk. It is more common to have vitamin B12 deficiency due to a condition called pernicious anaemia or gut conditions leading to problems absorbing food. 

You can find out all about the causes from our leaflet called Vitamin B12 Deficiency and Pernicious Anaemia.

Foods containing vitamin B12

The following foods are good sources of vitamin B12. Including these foods regularly in the diet should help to prevent vitamin B12 deficiency:

• Liver/liver pâté (note that pregnant women should avoid liver/liver pâté).
• Eggs.
• Cheese.
• Milk.
• Meat – for example, beef, lamb and pork.
• Fish.
• Fortified breakfast cereals.
• Marmite®.
• Fortified oat, rice and soya milks.
• Fortified soya yoghurts.
• Fortified spreads.
• Fortified yeast extract.

If you are vegan, aim to include foods that are fortified with vitamin B12, at least three times a day. If these foods are not consumed in adequate amounts, the Vegan Society recommends a vitamin B12 supplement of 10 micrograms per day.

Health Benefits Of Healthy Eating

There has been a tremendous amount of research done on the health benefits of healthy eating. From this research it’s been determined we must eat a diet low in fat, moderate in protein, and high in complex carbohydrates for our daily caloric intake. It doesn’t take rocket science to understand that if you eat pizzas every day you’ll have heart disease or diabetes before you’re 40, but why is this? Let’s look at the facts.

A healthy diet is important for good health; adding fruits, vegetables, and whole-grain cereals and limiting saturated fats, added sugars and salt are essential. Eating less industrially produced trans fats and sparingly is crucial. Nutrient-dense foods aid in the proper functioning of your body.  The actual riches you should invest in is your health. While your life becomes busier and your eating habits deteriorate, it is never too late to begin eating healthy in order to counteract the negative impacts of an unhealthy lifestyle. Healthy nutrition has a wealth of long-term advantages. It has a beneficial effect on one’s physical and mental health.

1. Boosts Immunity: Infectious disorders, autoimmune diseases, and the ordinary flu are all thwarted by a strong immune system. It promotes speedier healing and recuperation. Consume antioxidant-rich, vitamin-rich, and mineral-rich meals. Single-ingredient foods in their purest form are more familiar to the body and break down more quickly.

Here are several examples:

• Whole Grains
• Legumes and Beans
• Vegetables and fruits
• Protein and lean meat
• Unsaturated oils and nuts 

2. Better Digestive System: The right food will not only help you to stay fit, but it will also give your digestive system a break. You should eat foods that are rich in dietary fiber. Include items such as whole-grain bread and cereals, wheat bran, fruits, and veggies. Foods like nuts and beans will also provide the same benefit as soluble fibers can be found in oats, barley, and other legumes. Check out our pantry for fiber-rich products.
3. Delays Ageing: One of the best things you can do to slow down the aging process is to change the food products that you eat. Antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids can help to protect your body from free radicals. Having healthy nutrition preserves your DNA structure and leads to a beautiful complexion. As a result, you won’t endure as many negative skin conditions like acne or premature aging lines, or wrinkles.
4. Diabetes Management: Maintaining good health and your blood glucose levels helps you achieve targeted blood lipid levels. A diabetic food plan consists primarily of whole, minimally processed foods that provide fiber-rich fruits and vegetables, complex carbohydrates in moderation, and a slant toward lean proteins and healthy fats that are considered healthier options. It’s also important not to consume too much or too little at any given time, as this can lead to illness.
5. Improves Heart Health: Unhealthy meals, beverages, and smoking habits can cause a variety of medical problems, including high cholesterol and triglyceride levels, which clog the heart and can be fatal over time as the cardiac muscles are gradually damaged. When one eats a nutritious diet that includes fresh green vegetables, fruits, fruit juices, and enzyme-rich meals, cholesterol is reduced, weight is lost, and heart health is improved.
6. Helps in Weight Loss: In recent years, worldwide challenges to overall health and nutrition have been triggered by over-consumption of unhealthy food habits. People require nutritious food that is simple to prepare, tastes nice, and provides the body with the nutrients it requires. Smoothies and juices produced with fruits and vegetables are high in protein, dietary fiber (which helps to remove waste), vitamins (Vitamins A and C), and minerals, all of which are essential for a healthy diet. Obesity risk is reduced by eating fruits without sugar on a daily basis.
7. Good Energy Levels and Night Sleep: Light, healthy meals keep your energy up and your mind awake. As a result, your productivity will rise. Take advantage of superfoods to help you lose weight, increase your energy, and keep your mind sharp. A healthy diet helps you sleep better. If you eat late at night, this can disrupt the natural biological cycle and make it more difficult for you to rest comfortably as well as negatively affecting digestion. Don’t forget about nutrition before bedtime by eating a light meal at least 3 hours beforehand so that digestion time is not disturbed and that the body has enough time to rest organically – after all we know how important it is to stay fresh.
8. Strengthens Teeth And Bones Eating healthy also helps strengthen bones and teeth. Fish, milk, tofu, soy, leafy greens (except spinach), oranges, soaked beans, and nuts are a great source of calcium. You must also get morning sun or eat egg yolks, liver, and saltwater fish for your daily dose of vitamin D
9. Delays Aging Eating healthy foods has a direct impact on how fast you age. Fresh greens, fruits, lean protein, fatty fish, whole grains, green tea, herbs, and spices are loaded with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and omega-3 fatty acids that help flush out the harmful free oxygen radicals from the body. This, in turn, helps maintain the DNA structure and slow down the aging process
10. Improves Skin Health Unhealthy oily junk food leads to breakouts and acne. The key to getting healthy skin is drinking water, green tea, coconut water and eating fruits, vegetables, fatty fish, nuts, seeds, and whole grains

Healthy eating has many health benefits. The intake of foods rich in nutrients may help your body function properly. The positive effects of healthy eating on your life may include weight loss, reduced risk of diabetes, improved heart health, decreased cancer risk, and better immunity. It is also important for physical and mental well-be