How to prevent anaemia
Getting enough nutrients in your diet is a good place to start. For extra iron, up your intake of dark green leafy vegetables such as kale or watercress, red meat, dried fruit, fortified foods, and pulses including beans and lentils.15 Avoid drinking too much tea or coffee, or foods that contain a lot of phytic acid, such as wholegrain cereals, at the same time as consuming iron-rich foods, as these can block iron absorption.16 Eating non-haem iron with a source of vitamin C, such as a glass of orange juice, can help increase absorption of iron.17 For folate, eat more broccoli, chickpeas and brown rice, while B12-rich foods include meat and liver, fortified foods such as plant milks and breakfast cereals, and yeast extract.18 If you’re following a vegetarian or vegan diet, you could consider a multi-vitamin and mineral supplement to cover all your bases. Women should take 400mcg of folic acid daily whilst trying to become pregnant and for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy to help prevent neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida, in their baby.19 Some women need to take a higher 5mg folic acid supplement every day – ask your doctor whether this applies to you.
How is anaemia treated?
If changing your diet hasn’t helped your iron deficiency, your GP may prescribe iron tablets – these are much stronger than those you can buy over-the-counter, so like all medicines and supplements, keep them out of reach of children.21 Any underlying cause of iron deficiency will also likely be treated, for example, heavy periods. To boost your vitamin B12 levels, you may be given injections until your symptoms improve, or prescribed vitamin B12 tablets. A folate deficiency can be treated with folic acid supplements.20