Anemia is a condition where your red blood cell count (hemoglobin) is lower than normal. Your hemoglobin binds the oxygen in your red blood cells. For women, hemoglobin less than 12 g/100 ml and for men a hemoglobin level less than 13.5 g/ml is considered anemic.

If your hemoglobin levels are low, you may be experiencing fatigue, pale skin, chest pain, dizziness, an irregular or fast heartbeat, cold hands and feet, headache, and shortness of breath. Usually, anemia symptoms can be hard to properly diagnose and often go unnoticed. However, as your anemia worsens, your symptoms do as well.

There are over 400 types of anemia which can be caused by blood loss from ulcers or other gastrointestinal issues, menstruation, anti-inflammatory drugs, and childbirth. You may also have anemia from the decreased amount of red blood cells because of sickle cell anemia, a vitamin deficiency, stem cell problems or an iron deficiency. Lastly, the destruction of your red blood cells can cause anemia from toxins arising from liver or kidney disease, an enlarged spleen, or infections.

Is there a way you can you overcome and correct your anemia?

By eliminating certain foods and adding certain herbs and foods to your diet you can help ease the inflammation in your body and help boost your red blood cells. These foods include:

Adding:

• fish oil
• ginger
• curcumin

Cut back on:

• sugar
• refined carbs (white pasta, bread, rice, etc.)

Jacob Teitelbaum, MD, discusses the many facets of anemia and, most importantly, how to correct it.