IS THERE ANY FOOD THAT I CAN EAT TO BUILD MY BLOOD?

This is one of frequent asked questions by cancer patients.
Anemia contributes to fatigue experienced by cancer patients; this could be either anemia induced by chemotherapy and radiation therapy or anemia of chronic disease. Fatigue significantly affects a patient’s over all sense of well being. When red blood cell(RBC) loss/destruction exceeds its production, anemia results. Chemotherapy and radiation therapy can directly affect RBC production in the bone marrow. Anemia of chronic disease can be caused by chronic infections and inflammation, poor nutrition, malignancies and bone marrow suppression.

Malignancy itself, cancer treatment and treatment related side-effects can all impact one’s nutrition. Besides lack of caloric and protein intake as discussed in the previous articles, many micro-nutrients would fall short as well. Sometime, even with adequate caloric intake there is sub-optimal intake of micro-nutrients i.e. vitamins and minerals. Lack of iron could play a role in anemia, esp. in those who has been undergoing cancer treatment for an extended period of time.

Iron is an essential mineral which plays a role in variety of body functions. Iron’s primary role is to carry oxygen and carbon dioxide within the red blood cell from one body tissue to another. We call this process oxygen transport. The average dietary intake of a healthy individual is 18 to 20 mg/day. However, only 5% to 10% of this iron is absorbed in individual with adequate iron store. Although absorption is enhanced (20%-30%)when storage iron is depleted or when erythropoiesis occurs at an increased rate (some patients receive injections to increase RBC production), poor nutrition and poor iron in the diet would compromise this process. Therefore, an iron rich diet during treatment process is recommended.

Many foods in the diet contain iron, but this iron is not always easily absorbed by your body. Animal sources of iron called heme iron is better absorbed. Think of heme iron for the making of hemoglobin. Plant sources of iron called nonheme iron is poorly absorbed and sometimes can even block iron absorption. We can call them iron absorption blockers. Blockers include coffee, tea, whole grains, bran, legumes(beans), spinach and high fiber intake. The following are simple meal planning suggestions to help you absorb more iron from your diet.
1 Include heme iron sources, i.e. liver, meat, poultry and fish.
2 Remember the Meat Factor
Meat, poultry and fish contain a special quality called the meat factor which helps the body absorb more nonheme iron from plant sources. For example, if you add just one ounce of meat to your vegetarian bean burrito you absorb more iron from the vegetables and beans than if you eat them alone.
3 Include vitamin C sources
Foods that contain vitamin C such as orange, cantaloupe, strawberries, bell pepper, and broccoli can help the body absorb more iron. If you eat a bowl of iron fortified cereal, e.g. cream of wheat, add a cup of orange juice; otherwise, very little iron is being absorbed.
4 Be alert of iron absorption blockers
You don’t have to delete these foods. In fact, whole grains, legumes, and deep green vegetables are often high in iron content and rich in nutrients; but, they are best eaten with heme iron sources and vitamin C sources to help body absorb more iron. If you drink coffee or tea, do so in between meals to decrease the blocking effects these beverages have on other foods.

If you have difficulties with fruits and vegetables and thus, not being able to get enough vitamin C , you can certainly take 200 mg vitamin C with each meal. If you have just completed surgery and your doctor has put you on iron supplement, you can take iron supplement with vitamin C rich fruits or juices to increase iron absorption. A mixed diet if often the most efficient way to obtain adequate nutrients and to achieve the complementary benefits of various nutrients working together. A daily multiple vitamins and mineral can be beneficial, esp. when you are not eating adequately and when chemotherapy and various other medications all have effects in decreasing gut absorption of nutrients.