Treating Anemia Naturally

It seems like more and more people are suffering from anemia every day. This is no surprise really, as we find all manner of diseases and ailments are on the rise. Fortunately, there is a lot that we can do on our own to remedy anemia.

While almost everyone associates anemia with iron deficiency, as that is the most common type, hardly anyone considers the many other factors that must be addressed. Iron alone will not always fix anemia, and trying to supplement with iron alone can bring on other problems (See below: Diabetes and Heme Iron).

Anemia comes in many varieties, and can be rooted in other deficiencies, such as vitamins A, B6, B12, and Folate (B9), which are needed to build red blood cells; or magnesium and copper deficiencies, which are critical to iron metabolism; or vitamin C which greatly affects iron absorption. Again, there are many different types of anemia, and they have different root causes. However, sadly, too many doctors and too many people jump to a conclusion that it is simply iron deficiency. The blood tests for iron alone will not pinpoint the problem, so be careful before pumping more iron into your body.

Honestly, this article by Dr. Jockers does an amazing job of covering just about everything and anything associated with Anemia, and it is beautifully crafted as well:

I love the article; however, I do want to point out some things that I feel are missing, or could use some further elaboration. Of course, even the article above is not meant to be complete, and it is not my intention to complete anything here, but rather to list things that I think are vital and addressable. For example, in Dr. Jockers’ 16 causes for Anemia, which is a great list, I would like to add:

Magnesium. This vital mineral is important for so many things, and unfortunately, almost everyone in modern society is deficient in it. When it comes to iron, our body cannot manage the iron properly without enough magnesium, and thus too much iron can get routed into the wrong places – even while showing up as anemic in blood tests. In other words, your iron intake might be fine, but it is a magnesium deficiency that is causing the anemia. Thus, some people can resolve anemia by increasing their magnesium. You should certainly make sure that you are getting enough magnesium first, before you add more iron to your diet.

Copper. As with magnesium, this is vital to proper iron metabolism. Copper deficiency is a less common problem, but still something that should be looked at, as this too could potentially resolve or reduce anemia.

Vitamin C is very helpful to improve absorption of iron. It is only mentioned as a supplement to be taken with an iron supplement in the Dr. Jockers article, which highlights this point; however, it is never discussed as a potential solution on its own. You can however find many articles and studies that explicitly identify ‘Vitamin C Deficiency Anemia.’ Indeed, many people already have enough iron intake, and in some cases the anemia can be remedied with Vitamin C alone.

Vitamin D does not seem to prevent or cure anemia; however, there are many studies showing a strong correlation between Vitamin D deficiency and anemia, and studies that show Vitamin D can greatly speed recovery from anemia. It is also important to note that most modern people are deficient in Vitamin D, and this vitamin is critical for so many things.

Vitamin A is absolutely necessary for making red blood cells, and yet this is usually overlooked in most articles and medical advice. The same is true for Vitamin B6. They get mentioned only in passing, without much detail; and yet deficiency in either can be the cause of ‘iron deficient’ anemia. One of the reasons that liver is so great for anemia is because it provides so much vitamin A.

I could go on with some other missing things, but those are the ones that I wanted to highlight. There are many studies and articles that point to a wide variety of causes and solutions. Yet it does not have to be that complicated… eat a healthy diet and the anemia will likely resolve itself. Look more closely at blood tests to see what metabolites you might be deficient in, and then focus on fixing those levels.

The Dr. Jockers article also does a great job of highlighting other important sources of anemia, one of which I want to emphasize here:

Gut Issues – Leaky gut, intestinal infections, gut disbiosis, etc. are potential root causes of anemia. Focus on fixing your gut, and you will likely eliminate anemia in the process. Additionally, other issues, such as food sensitivities, inflammation, and more, will also be resolved, and many of these are root causes for anemia. Your gut is really the first domino… the root of other root causes.

Solutions

There are a lot of solutions mentioned in the article above, and the articles below. Supplementation is heavily emphasized, but I would turn to food first, because food is always a superior source of nutrients that provides many things which are still beyond our scientific knowledge…

Liver should be in everyone’s diet, because it is so nutritious. Probably everyone knows that liver is your best source of iron, so if you really do have an iron deficiency, eating more liver is one of the very best things you can do.

Probiotic foods like kefir provide almost everything you need, and improve the digestion and absorption of all nutrients, including iron. A good homemade kefir provides all the B vitamins, Vitamin C, and so much more. Such foods also help to restore the gut issues, which further leads to elimination of root causes. Keep in mind that the bacteria in your gut are actually creating many of the nutrients that you need.

Nourish your spleen with squash. Green leafy vegetables are also good, as well as bitters such as arugula. We don’t often hear much discussion about the spleen, but it can be vital in correcting anemia, and a good diet will automatically nourish your spleen. Squash and bitters especially are excellent for multiple reasons.

Ginseng and beets are also discussed in some circles as being very good for the spleen and blood, and we know that both of these foods are indeed excellent sources of nutrition. I would make an effort to get them into a diet, even if you do not have anemia. Beet Kvass is another fantastic probiotic drink.

I will stop here, as I want to keep this article short, and just point out that there are many natural ways to treat anemia, and many dangers in misdiagnosing an iron deficiency. There are more advanced tests that can determine your anemia cause more accurately; however, no amount of testing is perfect. The solution will always be the same – eat a healthy diet, as recommended by the Weston A. Price Foundation, and your anemia will vanish. For sure, some of us will need supplements because we do not have access to the food we need, but make sure that you are taking the correct supplements.

Diabetes and Heme Iron

It has been known for many years that there is a somewhat strong correlation between heme iron intake and the onset of type 2 diabetes. However, I do not find this to have much weight, as these studies seem to always be done among populations with other dietary compromises. Unfortunately, we must admit that a larger and larger portion of the population is being affected by such dietary compromises, so please be careful and do very thorough testing with your doctors before deciding to add heme iron supplements to your diet. In truth, I would not recommend testing or heme iron, as the better solution is to add more liver to your diet, from naturally raised animals, as liver provides you with iron and many more essential nutrients.

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