The Best Sickle Cell Anemia Diet - Sanguine (2024)

FAQs

The Best Sickle Cell Anemia Diet - Sanguine? ›

The 3-4-4 diet consists of complex carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats! The 3-4-4 eating method includes 3 meals and 2 snacks per day. 3 stands for breakfast: dried fruit, fresh fruit, and a grain. 4 stands for lunch: fresh fruit, green vegetable, orange vegetable, and protein/grain.

Eat from a rainbow of fruits and vegetables and pair them with whole grains, and protein foods (such as eggs, fish, chicken, meats, beans or tofu and nuts or seeds). Get plenty of calcium-rich foods and beverages such as milk, yogurt, and cheese.

For example, pomegranates increase blood flow, and fruits and vegetables such as bananas and kale boost energy levels. These benefits are especially advantageous for people with sickle cell anemia.

avoid very strenuous exercise – people with sickle cell disease should be active, but intense activities that cause you to become seriously out of breath are best avoided. avoid alcohol and smoking – alcohol can cause you to become dehydrated and smoking can trigger a serious lung condition called acute chest syndrome.

The following steps to stay healthy might help you avoid complications of sickle cell anemia: Take folic acid supplements daily and choose a healthy diet. Bone marrow needs folic acid and other vitamins to make new red blood cells. Ask your healthcare team about a folic acid supplement and other vitamins.

Aim for at least 8 to 10 glasses of water daily to help reduce sickle cell pain. Reduce the amount of caffeine and alcohol you drink. These drinks make urine have more water and can cause dehydration.

MILK AND DAIRY FOODS:

Choose dairy products made from whole milk (cheese, yogurt, ice cream), instead of those made with nonfat or low-fat milk. Add whipped cream to desserts, pancakes, waffles, fruit, and hot chocolate.

Stem cell or bone marrow transplants are the only cure for sickle cell disease, but they're not done very often because of the significant risks involved.

If your child is having pain, you should have him or her drink as much as possible. It is helpful to drink about double the amount of fluid as normal (fluid without caffeine). Examples are water, juice, ice chips, broth, Gatorade, Jell-O® or popsicles.

For managing sickle cell anemia, daily folic acid supplementation of 1 mg/day is a common treatment due to a presumed folate deficiency in the setting of hemolytic anemia and rapid red blood cell turnover (Falletta 1995). Folate, a water‐soluble B vitamin, plays a role in cell division and erythropoiesis.

Does sickle cell get worse with age? ›

As people with sickle cell anemia grow older, they may develop different and more serious medical problems that happen when organ tissues don't receive enough oxygen. People with sickle cell anemia are at increased risk for stroke and lung, kidney, spleen and liver damage.

Low-intensity aerobic exercises are the best options for people with SCD. These are exercises where your heart beats faster and you use more oxygen than normal. However, it is important to pace yourself, take breaks, and avoid intense activities. If you feel breathless, nauseous, or weak, the intensity is too high.

Living with sickle cell disease

Do not take decongestants because they cause constriction of blood vessels and could trigger a crisis. Other factors that may trigger a crisis include high altitudes, cold weather, swimming in cold water, and heavy physical labor.

The inventor found from in vitro experiments that green tea polyphenols could inhibit dense cell formation by inhibiting K-Cl cotransport phenomenon across the sickle red blood cell membrane. This K-Cl cotransport is the major mechanism by which sickle cells are dehydrated in the circulation.

zanthoxyloides leaf, and C. papaya leaf extracts may be used as alternative agents to hydroxyurea or a precursor in ameliorating the sickling (of red blood cells).”

Physiological effects of the Beet Juice will also be examined and the investigators hypothesize that increasing plasma nitrite using dietary nitrate will improve platelet function and red cell deformability and decrease MCHC in patients with sickle cell disease.

Healthy Lifestyle

✓ Stay active. ✓ Drink 8–10 glasses of water daily. ✓ Follow a heart-healthy eating plan that includes limiting alcohol. ✓ Aim for 7–8 hours of sleep a night.

Typical red blood cells usually live for about 120 days before they need to be replaced. But sickle cells usually die in 10 to 20 days, leaving a shortage of red blood cells. This is known as anemia. Without enough red blood cells, the body can't get enough oxygen.