NUTRITION HOTLINE.This month's Nutrition Hotline concerns the diagnosis of anemia, and the amount of caffeine present in chocolate and cocoa COULD I REALLY BE ANEMIC? QUESTI0N: I recently volunteered to give blood, but they turned me down because they said I was anemic--"a few points below" what they considered to be acceptable to give blood. I've been a vegan vegan /veg·an/ (ve´gan) (vej´an) a vegetarian whose diet excludes all food of animal origin. ve·gan n. for over 15 years and I eat lots of beans and legumes Legumes A family of plants that bear edible seeds in pods, including beans and peas. Mentioned in: Cholesterol, High legumes (l , take vitamin [B.sub.12] supplements, and haven't needed to see a doctor in 15 years. I've been a bit tired lately and have dark circles under my eyes, but I've attributed that to a new, stressful job. I'm 38 and still menstruating men·stru·ate intr.v. men·stru·at·ed, men·stru·at·ing, men·stru·ates To undergo menstruation. [Late Latin m , and my flow is regular. I'm a bit overweight (5'8" and 165 pounds). I've heard that there's more than one way to determine whether someone is anemic Do I need to see a naturopath naturopath a practitioner of naturopathy. naturopath A person who practices naturopathy, a drugless system of therapy using physical forces–eg, heat, water, light, air and massage or DO? Should I be concerned? Via e-mail ANSWER: You'll need to be evaluated on an individual basis so that your health care provider can obtain more information about your eating habits, any medications you may be taking, your health history, and so forth. You'll probably need to have the blood test repeated, too. Generally, the hemoglobin and hematocrit Hematocrit Definition The hematocrit measures how much space in the blood is occupied by red blood cells. It is useful when evaluating a person for anemia. Purpose Blood is made up of red and white blood cells, and plasma. levels that are determined by the "pin prick" blood test at the donation site are a quick and inexpensive way to weed out donors that may have low blood iron stores. However, the test is not as accurate as if the blood had been drawn with a needle. A more accurate assessment of your iron status would also include some additional blood parameters, including a serum ferritin ferritin /fer·ri·tin/ (-i-tin) the iron-apoferritin complex, one of the chief forms in which iron is stored in the body. fer·ri·tin n. level, which measures your body's iron stores. While vegetarians are not more prone to iron deficiency anemia Iron Deficiency Anemia Definition Anemia can be caused by iron deficiency, folate deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, and other causes. The term iron deficiency anemia means anemia that is due to iron deficiency. than nonvegetarians, I suggest that you check with your health care provider to clear this issue up (I recommend seeing an MD, DO, or a nurse practitioner nurse practitioner n. Abbr. NP A registered nurse with special training for providing primary health care, including many tasks customarily performed by a physician. ). If you are found to be anemic, you may require further tests to determine the cause of your anemia. If your body's iron stores are low, then he or she may suggest that you take an iron supplement. Also, eating plenty of vitamin C-rich fruits and vegetables with meals will boost your absorption of the iron that is present in the meals. HOW MUCH CAFFEINE IS IN CHOCOLATE? QUESTI0N: I am cutting all caffeine out of my diet. I am having a hard time with chocolate, though. Recently, a friend told me that cocoa contains no caffeine. Is this true? It would be a godsend god·send n. Something wanted or needed that comes or happens unexpectedly. [Alteration of Middle English goddes sand, God's message : goddes, genitive of God, God ! MH, Wisconsin ANSWER: Cocoa and hot chocolate contain very little caffeine as compared to other caffeinated beverages. An 8-ounce cup of coffee, for instance, contains approximately 137 milligrams of caffeine, and 8 ounces of tea contains about 47 milligrams of caffeine. An 8-ounce cola contains about 28 milligrams of caffeine. In contrast, 1 tablespoon of cocoa contains only 5 milligrams of caffeine, and 3 tablespoons of a typical hot cocoa mix provides only 3 milligrams of caffeine. People vary in their sensitivity to caffeine. If you want to be sure to avoid all caffeine, you'll need to avoid cocoa and hot chocolate. Considering how little caffeine they contain, however, you may very well find that this small amount is of little consequence. |
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