Causes and Risk Factors
Iron deficiency anemia
Iron deficiency anemia arises from too little iron in the body to make sufficient hemoglobin. There are three (3) causes of iron deficiency anemia:
1. Loss of iron at a greater rate than normal (blood loss)
2. Poor absorption of iron from the diet
3. Eating a diet low in iron.
Blood loss is usually the result of slow, persistent bleeding from inside the body, such as gastritis, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, polyps, gastrointestinal tumors (such as stomach or colon cancer), heavy menstrual periods, kidney tumors, bladder tumors, cystitis, prostatitis, and hemorrhoids. Additionally, the frequent use of aspirin, ibuprofen or other non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs, as well as chronic alcohol abuse, can also cause iron deficiency anemia.
Poor absorption of iron from the diet is usually as a result of surgical removal of part or all of the stomach or celiac sprue (a condition in which the lining of the small intestine is damaged by a protein found in wheat or rye called gluten).
The third cause is not eating enough iron-rich foods, such as fruit, whole-grain bread, beans, lean meat and green vegetables.
Vitamin B12 anemia
Vitamin B12 anemia is the result of an impaired ability of the digestive tract to absorb the B12 that is a normal part of the diet. B12 is essential for the production of red blood cells, as well as the maintenance of the nervous system, and is found in food of animal origin such as meat, fish and dairy products. There are four (4) causes.
1. Failure of the stomach lining to produce intrinsic factor
2. Rremoval of small intestine where vitamin B12 is absorbed
3. Crohn's disease - a chronic inflammatory disease that affects any part of the gastrointestinal tract
4. Eating a vegan diet which excludes eggs, diary products, meat and fish
Intrinsic factor is a chemical produced by the stomach lining and combined with vitamin B12 in the small intestine. Due to an autoimmune disorder (a disorder caused by a person's own immune system attacking the body's organs and tissues), the production of intrinsic factor is blocked.
Folic acid deficiency
Folic acid deficiency is usually caused by an inadequate intake of folic acid, a vitamin mainly supplied by the fresh green leafy vegetables, mushrooms, lima beans and kidney beans. This disorder is most common in the poor and elderly (due to poor eating habits), in heavy alcohol drinkers, and in persons afflicted with intestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease or celiac sprue.
(Back to Top)
|