Megaloblastic Anemia: More Information
Is it true that vegetarians are more at risk for anemia?
Vitamin B12 is a potential deficit of nutrients in the diet if not complied with the intake of eggs and milk. Some algae also contain this vitamin, but its contribution is so variable that is not recommended as sole supplement.
Meats are also fortified with vitamin B12 plants, useful to meet the needs in this vitamin. The dietary inclusion of fermented foods or fermented soya helps to get the necessary contribution.
DEBATE, SAY SCIENTISTS
In 1934 the Nobel Prize in medicine went to the discoverers of pernicious anemia: George Whipple, George Minot and William Murphy.
George Whiple when he began this research I knew that a full board was essential for good recovery from blood loss, but did not know exactly how it influenced the nutrients in this process. In 1917 he managed to cure their dogs suffering from anemia. The experiences led him to discover that some specific foods produced a stimulation of bone marrow, where blood cells are produced.
George Minot and William Murphy, while virtually Whipple studied at Harvard pernicious anemia. About this disease its existence was known only as the etiology and treatment were unknown. Until now the pernicious anemia was treated with the administration of arsenic, blood transfusions and splenectomy. These authors, who know the work of Whipple, began to feed their sick with food that had a major influence on the formation of blood. They did it with 300 grams of liver obtained satisfactory results in patients suffering from blood loss anemia. The disappearance of the symptoms made them think that pernicious anemia was a deficiency disease, and concluded that the liver should contain or secrete a substance that favored the activation of the bone marrow.
Moreover, previous experiences were the starting point of an experiment by William Castle on the intrinsic factor. He knew that the patients recovered from pernicious anemia gastric juice produced poor, which could be the reason for poor absorption of food substances. I wanted to check if the gastric juices of a healthy person could be some substance to facilitate the absorption of other substances of medicines or food and who helped in the formation of blood. Castle was demonstrated that the gastric juice of pernicious anemia patients lacked this substance and the juices of a healthy person’s self contained. This substance is an inherent factor of the gastric mucosa, necessary for the subsequent absorption of vitamin B12.