The Anemia and Oxygen Connection

June 27, 2023 by Robert

Excerpt from: Tired all the time? The following may be the reason why

By Dr. Daemon Jones | EmpowHER

Are you feeling exhausted during the day? Do you drag yourself into the house and barely make it to bed at night? Maybe you don’t make it to bed, falling asleep on the couch or a comfortable chair. Even if you get enough sleep at night, you still have no energy. Could it be because of anemia and oxygen?

Sound familiar?

Fatigue is one of the most common complaints I hear from patients, friends, and family members. Many of us are tired of (excuse the pun) being fatigued, but we deal with it because we don’t know what to do or what is making us tired.

There are so many common reasons why we could be fatigued — we have a poor diet, over-stressed, depressed, or do not get enough sleep at night.

Frequently we may be dealing with one or more of these situations and don’t stop to think our fatigue could be due to a medical reason. Or we might think making an appointment to go to the doctor is just one more thing we must put on our long to-do list.

However, a straightforward medical reason often makes us extremely tired that women overlook — anemia. It is diagnosed with a simple blood test called a complete blood test (CBC).

Screening for anemia is why it is essential to get your blood drawn every year during your annual exam. If you have anemia, the number of your red blood cells is less than expected.

Red Blood Cells Effect Anemia and Oxygen Transportation

Why does the amount of red blood cells affect your energy level? One of the main functions of red blood cells is to carry oxygen to each cell in the body.

Our cells use oxygen to create energy. So if you do not have enough red blood cells to carry the oxygen, you will not be able to get energy from your cells.

There can be several different types of anemia that require additional nutritional support. Iron deficiency is the most common but is not the only type of anemia.

I will talk about iron deficiency because it is the one I see the most often. Iron is one of the building blocks of our red blood cells. If you don’t have enough iron in your diet, you will not have enough to create your red blood cells.

To solve this issue, add more iron-containing foods to your diet.
Iron-rich foods include red meat, egg yolks, dark leafy greens, raisins, oysters, turkey, chickpeas, liver, and artichokes. Red meat is the most accessible form for our bodies to absorb.

Summary