Anemia - Dietary Factors

Sources of Vitamins B12 and Folate. Vitamins B12 and folate are important for prevention of megaloblastic anemia and good health in general.

The only natural dietary sources of B12 are animal products, such as meats, dairy products, eggs, and fish (clams and oily fish are very high in B12); like other B vitamins, however, B12 is added to commercial dried cereals. The RDA is 2.4 mcg a day. Deficiencies are rare in young people, although the elderly may have trouble absorbing natural vitamin B12 and require synthetic forms from supplements and fortified foods.

Click the icon to see an image sources of vitamin B12.

Folate is best found in avocado, bananas, orange juice, cold cereal, asparagus, fruits, green, leafy vegetables, dried beans and peas, and yeast. The synthetic form, folic acid, is now added to commercial grain products. Vitamins are usually made from folic acid, which is about twice as potent as folate. Many experts now recommend that adults have 400 mcg of folic acid daily, which is considerably higher than standard recommendations of 400 mcg of folate, which does not take into consideration the possible benefits of folate on the heart. Women who are trying to conceive, who are pregnant, and who are breastfeeding should take 400 mcg of folic acid.

Click the icon to see an image of sources of folate.

Recommended Daily Allowance for Iron

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of iron for people who are not iron deficient varies by age group and other risk factors. (Iron supplements are rarely recommended in people without evidence of iron deficiency or anemia.) The RDA recommends these daily amounts of iron:

Children 1 -3 years old: 10 mg
Teenage boys: 12 mg
Teenage girls and premenopausal women: 15 mg
Pregnant or nursing women: 30 mg
Adult men (up to age 50): 10 mg
Older men and women (over age 50): 10 mg

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Preventing Anemia in Infants and Small Children

The main source of iron for an infant from birth to 1year of age is in milk, either from breast milk, iron-fortified infant formula, or cereal. The best methods for preventing iron deficiency during infancy are:

Breastfeeding and Iron-Supplemented Formulas. Mothers should be encouraged to breastfeed their babies for their first year. Up to half of the iron in breast milk is absorbed by the baby and is sufficient to prevent anemia for the first 4 -6 months, assuming that the mother had adequate iron stores during pregnancy. Breast milk itself is low in iron, but if the mother's diet is healthy, vitamin C and lactose in the breast milk may enhance iron absorption. Breastfed babies should have iron supplements after 4 -6 weeks, even if they are still nursing.