Nutrition plays a fundamental role in our state of health, even in cases of very serious diseases such as anemia. Let's look closely at this disorder and also approach the important nutrient principle linked to anemia which is iron.
anemia
There are various forms of anemia, all linked to the poor "quality" of red blood cells present in the blood. But how are anemia and iron related? The main function of red blood cells is to transport oxygen to all the cells of the body, through a molecule, hemoglobin, which contains iron .
Iron is the fundamental element of the whole process as it works as a "magnet" and keeps the oxygen tied to it during this transport.
We speak, clinically, of anemia, when the hemoglobin in the blood - determined with a simple examination - is present in low quantity (under 13 g / dl in humans and 12 g / dl in women). The causes of anemia can be different and multiple : iron deficiency, vitamins deficiency or blood loss (it is frequent in women, if the flow is abundant), chronic diseases or it can be an inherited anemia, from genetic causes.
The main symptoms of anemia are : pallor, reduction in the color of the lips and gums, weakness, irritability, difficulty concentrating, often cold feet and hands, dizziness and ringing in the ears, increased heart rate due to slight strain, wheezing following light efforts.
Find out which foods are rich in iron
Mediterranean anemia
Mediterranean anemia is the most common hereditary pathology in Italy. The area of diffusion is the Mediterranean basin (hence the name): Greece, Middle East, Africa.
The disease is caused by a defect in hemoglobin, which fails to bind to iron, which therefore accumulates in the body, unused. At the same time, to try to balance this lack of healthy hemoglobin, the body produces a large number of red blood cells that are less than normal, soon destroyed by the body.
There are, in general, two forms of Mediterranean anemia:
- The Minor form , without any particular symptoms, called the "healthy carrier" in which the only real risk is having a partner who is also a healthy carrier, in which case you will have a 50 percent chance of having a sick child;
- The Maior form , that is the actual pathology, in which on the one hand the iron introduced with food accumulates in the body, unused, while on the other side the red blood cells carry a form of altered hemoglobin that is not able to tie the iron. Therefore the blood does not play its role of bringing oxygen to the tissues, with serious consequences on health. The symptoms appear within the first year of life: the child is anemic and jaundiced, grows little, can have bone deformations, a consequence of the fact that the marrow grows abnormally, and the enlargement of the liver and spleen. In the most serious cases there is heart failure due to the dilation of the heart ( Cooley's disease).
Iron in Mediterranean anemia
The real cure for Mediterranean anemia is bone marrow transplantation, which allows for a new bone marrow capable of producing healthy hemoglobin.
In patients suffering from thalassemia malor it intervenes with blood transfusions and iron based chelating drugs (that is able to take it away clearing the blood). The drugs are usually administered at night, with continuous diffusion under the skin (in the thigh or in the belly). In mild cases we remind you that it is important to avoid excess iron, follow a healthy diet, rich in calcium, zinc and vitamin D. Drinking tea can help keep iron levels low thanks to some contained substances, tannins, which prevent the absorption of iron by the intestine. However, tea cannot replace chelating drugs if blood transfusions are received.
