EAT, DON’T CRASH Do you suffer from headaches and feel tired all the time? Crash diets could be giving you anaemia

 Last October, a woman entered the Juhu clinic of macrobiotic nutritionist Shonali Sabherwal, complaining of fatigue. The woman, in her early 30s, had pale skin and suffered from frequent headaches. After a few consultations Sabherwal realised that the woman — who in her effort to look good had cut down on carbohydrates, consuming only salads and soups for dinner and lunch — was deficient in iron, leading to anaemia. 

    Anaemia, in which the number of red blood cells or their oxygencarrying capacity is insufficient to meet physiologic needs of the body, was once traditionally associated with those who couldn't afford to have nutritious meals. However, in the past five years, doctors say it also common among the city's rich. 
    Sabherwal says like her patient, others assume that if they are eating salads, they will remain healthy. "However, by skipping essential nutrition categories like carbs, which contain a lot of iron, they put themselves at the risk of anaemia." 
    Recently, Hollywood actor and Iron Man star Gwyneth Paltrow revealed during an interview with Daily Mail that she was diagnosed with anaemia and Vitamin D deficiency last year, a condition that followed her selective eating habits. 
WOMEN ARE AT HIGHER RISK 
While constant dieting or eating junk food put both men and women at risk of anaemia, Dr Sonal Kumta, a gynaecologist at Mulund's Fortis Hospital, says, "Women are at higher risk since they undergo periodic blood loss during their menstruation cycle." Anaemia shows up in the haemoglobin levels. The normal count for women is in the 12.1-15.1 grams per deci-litre (dL), for men it ranges from 13.8 to 17.2 gm/dL. 
    Dr Kumta says fatigue is one of the most common symptoms of anaemia. Since the organs do not get a full supply of oxygen, it leads to persistent dullness and irritability, besides low blood pressure, pale skin and a rapid heart rate. 
    The gynaecologist says an 18-year-old woman who moved to Mumbai last year to study architecture, had all of the above symptoms she consulted her for excessive menstrual bleeding. 
    The woman had developed polycystic ovary syndrome — a condition which causes imbalance of female sex hormones and leads to menstrual cycle changes or cysts in the ovaries. "She had been bleeding for 12 days. Lack of sleep and junk food had caused her to develop PCOS, which further led to anaemia," says Kumta. The patient was given a short course of medication and was counselled to correct her diet. 
    According to the 2008 report by the World Health Organisation, there are approximately 524 million anaemic women across the globe. In India, more than 40 per cent women between the ages of 18 and 40 years suffer from anaemia. 
FIX IT WITH YOUR DIET 
The WHO website says that while other conditions, such as folate, vitamin B12 and vitamin A deficiencies, chronic inflammation, parasitic infections, and inherited disorders can also cause anaemia, iron deficiency is thought to be the most common cause. 
    While in severe cases blood transfusion is needed to treat anaemia, those who detect it early can fix it with a correction in their diet. 
    Dietician Sheela Tanna says a woman (in her reproductive years) requires 15mg of iron per day. She recommends the following sources of » DRY iron FRUITS in the : prunes daily , diet apricots : , raisins » LEGUMES: peas, soya beans and kid-» SEEDS ney beans : almonds and Brazil nuts » VEGETABLES: asparagus, kale and spinach » WHOLE GRAINS: wheat, millet, oats and 
    brown rice » DAIRY: egg yolk and chicken breast 
    Tanna says, "Don't limit the iron source to just one of these items. A combination works best." She adds that the body needs Vitamin C for better absorption of iron. This can be found in tomatoes and other citrus fruits.