Page 9 - HOSPITAAL

Wednesday 6 december 2017 heAlth
A24

Weak Blood

there are fewer red blood cells than normal. the long term, will set kids up for obesity and
Other diagnostic tests may include a blood heart disease, the number one cause of death
smear which can sometimes indicate the cause of children in the United States.
of the anemia. Countless Arubans and Americans can trace
When your blood tests indicate that the total our family tree to Portuguese, Spanish, Italian
serum iron and ferritin levels, which help deter- and Greek roots.
mine whether your anemia is due to iron defi- Many decedents from Mediterranean coun-
ciency is on the low side, most doctors will pre- tries have inherited Glucose-6-phosphate de-
scribe iron supplementation. hydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency. The red blood
This is a mistake that only gives you constipa- cells of people with this condition either do not
tion. make enough of the enzyme G6PD or the en-
Regrettably, many doctors do not appreciate zyme that is produced is abnormal and does
that your blood has a narrow range of iron that not work well.
it can use to help produce red blood cells. Cor- When someone born with the deficiency has an
rectly, a lack of iron can cause anemia. Simi- infection, takes any sulfa medicine, is exposed
larly, too much iron also causes what looks like to the smell of camphor, or eats fava beans the
anemia. The immediate reaction of doctors to body’s red blood cells suffer extra stress. With-
By: Dr. Carlos Viana prescribe iron can be dangerous! out adequate G6PD to protect them, many
Hemoglobin is not iron! Unfortunately physi-
red blood cells are destroyed prematurely. Iron
People in the same family are related by blood cians prescribe iron to anemic people who test supplementation will not help; it hurts by stress-
and “blood is thicker than water” says that fam- with low hemoglobin. ing the red blood cells more. There is a simple
ily (“blood”) relations are more important than Yes, the patients are anemic, but the iron can blood test to check if you have this many times,
relations with friends. “Blood is thicker than wa- be collecting in storage instead of going into undetected condition.
ter” compares the thickness of blood (family re- hemoglobin. These people are iron-overload- Get The Point! I have four close friends that I
lationship) to the thickness of water (friendships) ed. Many African decedents have this condi- would choose over my siblings in a heartbeat.
and says that our family relations are more im- tion. There is a Venezuelan proverb that says “Blood
portant (“thicker”) than all others. They need iron removed despite the anemia. is inherited and virtue is acquired”.
The anemia should be treated with B vitamins, The blood type A, or those of you who have in-
Interestingly, there are no quotations on “weak especially B12, B6 and folic acid. However, B herited iron overload or G6PD deficiency can
blood”, as in not enough red blood cells, also vitamins should always be taken as a complete acquire the virtue of health by learning how to
known as anemia. One of the more common B complex, with specific B vitamins added on be your best doctor. If you have been diag-
blood disorders, anemia, occurs when the num- an individual basis by a trained Clinical Nutri- nosed with “weak blood” do not settle for iron
ber of healthy red blood cells decreases in the tionist. Blood banks especially seem to believe supplements, it could be killing you faster.
body. The disc-shaped red blood cells contain that hemoglobin and iron are the same. They Come in for a consultation to find the root
hemoglobin, a unique molecule that carries have prepared lists of high iron foods to give out cause of your anemia.q
oxygen to the body’s tissues. to donors with low hemoglobin. They invariably ___
The most common sign of anemia is mild pale- tell these people: “Your iron is low.” GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH: Gift Certificates and
ness of the skin, along with decreased pinkness Many of our grass- roots clinic patients who are Organic Products available at Viana Center.
of the lips, the lining of the eyelids, and the nail anemic have type A blood. People with type A
beds. Other common signs of anemia may in- blood have a deficiency in stomach acid that CARLOS VIANA, Ph. D. is an Oriental Medical
clude: irritability, fatigue, dizziness, lightheaded- prevents them from absorbing the iron from Doctor (O.M.D.) having studied in China; a US
ness, and a rapid heartbeat. Depending on the their food. Board Cert. Clinical Nutritionist (C.C.N.), an Ad-
condition causing the anemia, other signs and The other nutritional disaster is milk products. diction Professional (C.Ad.), Chairperson of the
symptoms may occur, such as jaundice (yel- Milk does no body good, but for the vast ma- Latin American Committee of the Internation-
low-tinged skin), dark tea-colored urine, easy jority of the world’s people it is a public health al Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology
bruising or bleeding, and enlargement of the disaster. No other animal drinks cow’s milk, not (IAOMT), a Rejuvenating Cell Therapist special-
spleen or liver. even calves once they are weaned. izing in Age Management, has a weekly radio
Unfortunately, many doctors don’t discover The late Dr. Benjamin Spock, the U.S.’s lead- program, writes and lectures extensively. For in-
anemia until they run blood tests as part of a ing authority on child care, spoke out against formation: VIANA HEALING CENTER, Kibaima 7,
routine physical examination. feeding “cow’s glue” to children, saying it can St Cruz TEL: 585-1270 Web Site: www.vianaheal.
A complete blood count may indicate that cause anemia, allergies, and diabetes and in com