Anaemia is a serious problem among women, and men suffer from it to some degree too. Anaemia is when the amount of haemoglobin in the blood falls below normal, and it grows mainly from a lack of iron in the body. Keeping iron in balance is therefore essential, and that needs enough iron-rich food.

Tiredness or weakness is the first sign of anaemia. Shortness of breath, dizziness, headache, cold hands and feet, pale skin and chest pain are also symptoms. If any of these appear, haemoglobin levels should be tested, and if they are below normal, the diet should be changed.

Iron-rich foods such as fish, meat, spinach, beetroot and peas make up for a shortage of iron.

Doctors often advise people with low haemoglobin to drink beetroot juice. It contains folate, manganese, potassium, iron, betaine, vitamin C and other nutrients, and drinking it helps flush toxins from the liver.

To make it, thinly slice two medium beetroots, one cucumber and one inch of ginger. First cut off the yellow peel of a lemon, chop it into pieces and set aside, discarding the lemon seeds. Then put everything in a juicer, strain and drink.

Leafy greens are the best remedy for anaemia. Besides iron they contain nutrients such as vitamin B12 and folic acid. Half a cup of spinach contains about 35 per cent iron and 33 per cent folic acid. You can also mix two spoons of honey into a glass of spinach juice and drink it once a day.

To make it, finely chop one cup of mint and roughly chop two cups of spinach, with half a cup of water. Mix them together, blend well in a blender, and strain once well mixed. For more flavour, add one tablespoon of lemon juice and one teaspoon of ground cumin. You can add ice cubes if you like.

Pomegranate juice is one of the key remedies for anaemia. Mix a quarter of a spoon of ground cinnamon and two teaspoons of honey into a cup of pomegranate juice, and take it with breakfast every day. Alternatively, mix two spoons of dried pomegranate seed powder into a glass of warm milk and drink it once or twice a day.

A mixed vegetable soup is a blend of different vegetables, rich in vitamins, minerals, iron, vitamin C and fibre. This iron-rich drink is very tasty.

Blend one cup of banana, one cup of chopped bottle gourd, a quarter cup of amla, one tablespoon of honey and two cups of cold water in a mixer. When fully blended, strain and serve.

Red meat, eggs and liver are also good sources of haemoglobin.

Source: Kaler Kantho. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.