Vitamin C for Anemia

OJ for Vitamin C

Vitamin C is one of the most important vitamins in the diet. It helps to strengthen the immune system, and builds resistance against disease. It also helps the body to build healthy blood, bone, and skin tissues.

Although vitamin C is important in the diet, it is only necessary to take enough vitamin C to make sure that you get the recommended daily amount (RDA). Scientific studies have not shown a significant health benefit to taking large megadoses of vitamin C. Most people need between 200 and 300 mg a day of vitamin C, an amount that can easily be reached by eating a diet rich in fruits and vegetables and by taking a good multivitamin daily. On the other hand, though, some people have an unusually high need for vitamin C in their diets, and need more than 200 - 300 mg/day. For example, smokers need about 30 percent more vitamin C than nonsmokers do. Pregnant and breastfeeding women also have higher than normal vitamin C needs. So do people who are recovering from surgery or burns, or who have disorders that cause high fevers or inflammation. Vitamin C can be very helpful in treating anemia, especially if the anemia is connected with a vitamin C deficiency.

Using Vitamin C to Treat Anemia

Method

• Eat foods that are rich in vitamin C, such as citrus fruits, red and green peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, and greens.
• Take a multivitamin that includes vitamin C.
• If your vitamin C needs are unusually high, take a vitamin C supplement.

Why It Works

Not all vitamins and minerals are equally easy for the body to absorb -- some can only be absorbed in the presence of other vitamins and minerals. Most cases of anemia are caused by an iron deficiency. Iron cannot be absorbed unless enough vitamin C is present. Vitamin C helps iron to dissolve in the intestines. If iron does not dissolve, it cannot be absorbed into the blood and will instead pass out of the body in a bowel movement. That means that a person can eat red meat (which is high in iron) every day, but still not absorb enough iron, if he or she does not eat many fruits and vegetables. Many people have better luck treating anemia with green leafy salads, such as spinach salad, rather than with red meat, because green leafy vegetables contain iron and vitamin C together.

In addition to helping the body digest foods containing iron, vitamin C also helps the body to make healthy blood cells. If a person does not get enough vitamin C, his or her blood count is likely to be low, and adding vitamin C is likely to raise the blood count.

In some cases, a lack of vitamin C in the diet may be the cause of anemia, so providing enough vitamin C in the diet may not only treat the symptoms of anemia but also cure it.

Precautions

If you are taking prescription medications, check with your doctor or pharmacist before using grapefruit as a source of vitamin C. Grapefruit interacts with several medicines.

If you are also taking iron supplements for anemia, or making an effort to eat iron-rich foods, be sure to combine your iron sources with plenty of vitamin C, so that you absorb as much iron as possible.

High doses of vitamin C are not thought to be dangerous, because the body excretes any vitamin C that it does not need. However, excessive amounts of vitamin C can cause diarrhea and, in some cases, nausea.

More Remedies

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