Iron deficiency anemia is a common type of anemia that causes the body to have a hard time making adequate red blood cells. This is caused when your body can not absorb enough iron to bind the hemoglobin in red blood cells, which can cause a variety of symptoms such as fatigue and shortness of breath which can sometimes be treated with Injectafer ferric carboxymaltose injection.

The most common people diagnosed with this anemia are women with heavy menstruation, vegans, children, and people who have lost substantial amounts of blood (post-surgery). Iron deficiency anemia can easily be managed with foods rich in iron as well as iron supplementation taken with oral and injectable iron. Here are several foods to avoid and the reasons why they are detrimental to iron deficiency:

1. Milk
Whole milk has many good benefits such as giving the body vitamin D and calcium, the same can not be said for those who suffer from iron deficiency. Milk and other dairy products made from it can actually block the body from absorbing iron. If you love your milk, don’t panic. There are many alternatives out there that can help you get your daily supply. Milk such as almond, cashew, and coconut are just as good and can actually help you absorb more iron.

2. Soda
It goes without saying that soda is bad for everyone who drinks it. Soda has absolutely no nutritional benefits, especially so if you suffer from iron deficiency. The caffeine and sugar in soda can cause your red blood cells to become dehydrated, which makes your body work even harder to make hemoglobin. In addition to that, it also can cause the body to block iron absorption. Soda causes double the problems for anemia sufferers. Do your red blood cells and the rest of your body a favor and eliminate or reduce your consumption.

3. Pasta
While it may come as a shock to your system, foods rich in gluten, such as pasta, are not good for your iron deficiency either. Too much gluten can wreak havoc on your digestive system, which impairs your body’s ability to absorb nutrients, such as iron. Not only will your body have less iron, but it will also have less of every other nutrient it needs to function. Even though it is not the case for everyone, many people with iron deficiency are actually gluten sensitive at the moment. While pasta may be good for a once in a while treat, it is not something to eat on a regular basis.

4. Coffee
Just like its distant cousin soda, coffee is filled with too much caffeine for someone suffering from iron deficiency. While coffee has some health benefits, it is still not good for anemics because the caffeine will wipe any help it can give. For all the coffee lovers with anemia, this may sound like a death sentence. But don’t worry, you can still have it once in a while until you are able to rebuild your iron supply.

This is all we have today. Remember, you are not suffering from Iron deficiency alone, and you will get through this.