Strong Women Need Strong Blood

On asking a group of Women which part of Health is most concerning for them, 50% of them voted for Iron and Low Hemoglobin.

Not surprised: 30% of Women in World are Anemic Vs 57% of Indian
Women Anemic in the Reproductive Age

In India Primary Reason seems to be

If you particularly concentrate on these 6 things then you can largely be in the
normal Range of Hemoglobin with good Iron Storage. Read on

What is Hemoglobin made of?

We think it is just Iron but in reality you need the following nutrients as raw materials to ensure that a molecule of hemoglobin can be made:
Iron, Copper, Zinc, B12, B6, Folate, Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Protein

Just like an iceberg , ice under the water melts first followed by the ice above the sea. The Hemoglobin is like the top of iceberg and the Iron Studies below the water that melts first. And hence, the preliminary indicator of deficiency is the Iron Studies and not the Hemoglobin.

The Tests you should do to determine type of Anemia

CBC
Iron Study
B12 an Folate

Complains and Problems caused due to Low Iron/ Anemia: Hemoglobin

Reasons of Low Hemoglobin

Complains and Problems caused due to Low Iron/ Anemia: Hemoglobin

Save the Checklist:

Protein Intake (0.8 gms /kg weight): about 35 gms can be easily covered through:

3 bowls of Lentils,
40 gms paneer,
1 bowl of curd,
1 tbsp of nuts/ seeds and other grains
One Dish cooked in Cast Iron Utensil daily. Avoid Aluminium.
Supplement: Iron, B12 and D3 Supplemention (loading or maintenance as per the blood reports- consult your Dr or qualified Dietitian)
1 tbsp of Nuts/ Seeds/day. Additionally add 1 tsp of Garden Cress Seeds/ day if it is easily available in your region.
Vitamin C Rich Food (1 Amla/ 1 tsp of Amla Powder)
Green Leafy Veggies – ½ bowl cooked daily

1.My Hemoglobin is above 12. Should I still be concerned?

Hemoglobin reading is like a tip of the ice berg. It might look like everything is fine but the store will be depleting (like the ice under water) You can confirm this by carrying out the Iron Studies Test (parameters on case study page). It will largely tell you about the hemoglobin state.

2. The Iron supplements often leave me constipated and nauseous. What do I do?

3. I eat meat. Why is it so that I am still anemic?

Case of Low Hemoglobin

A 28 year old woman detected with low Hemoglobin of 11.4 in her regular annual blood reports. She had been on and off Iron supplementation, but she was still chronically on low hemoglobin. Hence, she approached us for the same.

Results:

	18 th March	22 nd June	Optimal Range
Iron	60	71	85-130 mcg/dL
UIBC		239	130-300 mcg/dL
TIBC	441	239	250-350 mcg/dL
Ferritin	2.10	24	30-70 ng/ml
Transferrin Saturation	6.11	23	24-35 %
B12	264	880	450-800 pg/ml

Naina Singhania

Registered Dietitian | Functional Nutritionist | Diabetes Reversal Expert | Gut and Hormone Health Management

About Naina: Naina is a Registered Dietitian of India practicing since 2013. She works in the field of Weight Management, Diabetes Reversals and Women’s Health (PCOS, Infertility). She lives in Mumbai and caters to clients worldwide. Her approach is a combination of Ayurvedic Analysis along with scientific base in Functional Nutrition allows her to get into the root cause of the problem and provide customised solutions to her clients.