Dietary Suggestions: Include broccoli, egg yolks, kelp, leafy greens, peas, parsley, prunes, raisins, rice bran, whole grains, food with high vitamin C content. Fish eaten with vegetables increases iron absorption.

Some foods contain oxalic acid, which interferes with iron absorption and should be eaten in moderation. These foods include almonds, asparagus, beets, cashews, chocolate, soda, sorrel, spinach, most nuts and beans. Additives found in beer, candy bars, dairy products, ice cream, soft drinks interfere with iron absorption, as do tannins in tea and polyphenols in coffee.

Menorrhagia: Excess menstrual blood loss can produce iron deficiency anemia. Anemia can produce menorrhagia.

Supplementing iron may be dangerous for people with hemochromatosis, hemosiderosis, polycythemia, and iron-loading anemias (such as thalassemia and sickle cell anemia) which involve excessive storage of iron. Only individuals who have been diagnosed with iron deficiency should take iron supplements.

Evidence shows that people who suffer from the following serious diseases are at greatest risk of developing anemia:

1. Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD)
2. Diabetes
3. Cancer
4. Heart Disease
5. Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA)
6. Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)

Also at risk are:

1. People over the age of 65
2. People with HIV/AIDS
3. Patients undergoing surgery

There are close to 100 different types of anemia with many causes, including:

1. Serious disease
2. Vitamin or iron deficiencies
3. Blood loss
4. Genetic or acquired defects or disease
5. Side effects of medication

Clinical tests for anemia include the hematocrit, which measures the amount of packed red blood cells per measured volume of blood; and the hemoglobin test, which measures the amount of the oxygen-carrying protein in the red blood cells.

Anemia can result from any one of a number of conditions: severe blood loss from an accident; low-grade, chronic internal bleeding; long-term marginal nutrient deficiencies, including poor dietary intake; impaired absorption of nutrients; or faulty use of the nutrient within the body, often due to long-term use of medication.

Anemia is a condition in which the blood is deficient in red blood cells or in the hemoglobin (iron containing and oxygen/carbon dioxide-transporting) portion of red blood cells. When the blood can not transport enough oxygen from the lungs to cells and carbon dioxide builds up from not being transported back to the lungs, the results are extreme fatigue.

Anemia is a blood condition in which the number and\or size of red blood cells is altered, which reduces the amount of oxygen the blood is able to carry.
Some results or symptoms of anemia include lethargy, weakness, poor concentration, pale complexion, increased susceptibility to colds and infection, headaches, loss of appetite, irritability, learning disabilities, hyperactivity, and mild depression.