How Can Pernicious Anemia Be Prevented?
Doctors do not know how to prevent pernicious anemia
that occurs from the immune system destroying parietal cells in the stomach.
The most common cause of pernicious anemia is the loss of stomach cells that
make intrinsic factor.
Pernicious anemia due to a diet low in vitamin B12
is not common. But some people who are strict vegetarians or who have a poor
diet for a long time can develop this condition. Eating foods high in vitamin
B12 and folic acid can help prevent low vitamin B12 levels. Some of these foods
are:
- Eggs, meat, poultry, or shellfish
- Milk, orange juice, or oranges
- Fortified cereals, wheat germ, rice, or
barley
- Romaine lettuce, spinach, and other green leafy
vegetables
- Sprouts, broccoli, asparagus
- Peas, peanuts, beans, lentils, soy beans, and
chickpeas
You can get a
Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Vitamin B12 from
the Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health.
Vitamin B12 also can be found in multivitamins and
in B-complex vitamin supplements.
Doctors may recommend supplements for people at risk
of developing vitamin B12 deficiency, such as infants and children of strict
vegetarians. |