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Prevention
By Mayo Clinic staffYou can prevent some forms of vitamin deficiency anemias by eating a balanced diet and taking a multivitamin, especially during pregnancy and while breast-feeding.
Foods rich in folate include:
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Dark green leafy vegetables
- Enriched grain products, such as cereal and bread
- Dried beans and peas
Vitamin B-12 is abundant in:
- Red and white meats and shellfish
- Eggs
- Milk, cheese, yogurt
Vitamin C is plentiful in:
- Citrus fruits and juices
- Tomatoes
- Sweet peppers
- Cantaloupe
- Broccoli
Most adults need these daily dietary amounts of the following vitamins:
- Vitamin B-12, 2.4 micrograms (mcg)
- Folate or folic acid, 400 mcg
- Vitamin C, 75 to 90 milligrams
A balanced diet usually provides these amounts. Ask your doctor whether you need a vitamin supplement. Smokers require an additional 35 milligrams of vitamin C daily.
Because pernicious anemia can be hereditary, let your doctor know if you have a relative with the disorder. The doctor will test your blood periodically. If the tests indicate vitamin B-12 deficiency, you can start treatment before signs and symptoms of the disease appear. Early diagnosis and treatment of pernicious anemia can help you avoid complications.
These other measures may help prevent vitamin deficiency anemia:
- Don't smoke. Smoking interferes with the absorption of vital nutrients, such as vitamin C, so it can raise your risk of a deficiency. The best thing you can do for your health is to stop smoking. If you can't stop, talk with your doctor about your increased nutritional needs.
- Limit alcohol. Because alcohol can contribute to vitamin deficiency anemia, it's a good idea to limit your alcohol intake. U.S. government nutrition guidelines recommend that men have no more than two drinks a day and that women limit alcohol intake to one drink daily.
- Schrier SL. Etiology and clinical manifestations of vitamin B12 and folic acid deficiency. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Jan. 19, 2009.
- Pernicious anemia. National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/prnanmia/prnanmia_all.html. Accessed Jan. 27, 2008.
- Folate. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004c.html#sec01-ch004-ch004c-247. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Vitamin B-12. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004i.html#sec01-ch004-ch004j-379. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Vitamin C. The Merck Manuals Online Medical Library: The Merck Manual for Healthcare Professionals. http://www.merck.com/mmpe/sec01/ch004/ch004j.html#sec01-ch004-ch004k-403. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Vitamin B12. Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/vitaminb12.asp#h3. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Dietary supplement fact sheet: Folate. Office of Dietary Supplements. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/folate.asp. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Food sources of selected nutrients. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. USDA and Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/AppendixB.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
- Alcoholic beverages. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. USDA and Department of Health and Human Services. http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2005/document/html/chapter9.htm. Accessed Jan. 28, 2009.
