Is Anaemia Effectively Treated by Ayurveda?
Anaemia is one of those things where patients will say, ‘Oh I just am tired.’ It’s a real deficiency. The body doesn’t have enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin, which is the protein that carries oxygen to tissues throughout the body. If untreated, this deficiency accumulates over time and by the time patients seek treatment, the symptoms have often been developing for months.
Different Types of Anaemia
Anaemia is not one thing. There are many kinds of anaemia, including iron deficiency anaemia, vitamin B12 deficiency anaemia, folate deficiency anaemia, haemolytic anaemia, idiopathic aplastic anaemia, megaloblastic anaemia, pernicious anaemia, sickle cell anaemia, and thalassaemia. It is also important to remember that anaemia can be a warning sign of a more serious underlying illness, which is why it is important to investigate properly rather than assuming that it is always straightforward.
The most common form is iron-deficiency anaemia
The most common anaemia I see in clinic is iron deficiency anaemia. Iron, vitamin B12, and folic acid are important nutrients needed to make enough healthy red blood cells, and a lack of any of these can cause anaemia. I think the major factors that contribute are:
- Poor diet resulting in iron, B12, or folic acid deficiency
- Diseases of the small intestine that lead to malabsorption such as coeliac disease or Crohn’s disease
- Chronic diseases such as chronic kidney disease, inflammatory bowel disease or cancer
- Long-term use of certain drugs
- Pregnancy
- Leukaemia, lymphoma, bone marrow disorders
- Blood Loss
Spotting the Signs
Mild or slowly developing anaemia may not have obvious symptoms, but symptoms become more apparent as anaemia worsens. Symptoms include weakness and tiredness, shortness of breath with mild activity or even at rest, loss of appetite, headaches, irritability and difficulty concentrating, numbness in the hands and feet, pale or yellowish skin, brittle nails, dizziness or light-headedness and menstrual irregularities. In more severe cases, patients may develop pica syndrome, which are unusual cravings to eat non-food items, a truly telling sign of significant deficiency.
How is anaemia diagnosed?
Tests to diagnose anaemia usually include a complete blood count, a reticulocyte count, and blood levels of iron, vitamin B12 and folic acid. These tests help determine not only whether anaemia is present, but what specific type and deficiency is causing it.
Diet to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anaemia
A good iron-rich diet plays an important preventive role. I generally recommend to my patients iron in the form of lentils, cereals, green leafy vegetables, fruits, poultry, fish and dried fruits like raisins and apricots. Meat, dairy products and cereals are important sources of vitamin B12, and a truly protective diet is rounded out by foods rich in folate and vitamin C — citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables, broccoli and berries.
The Ayurvedic View: Pandu Roga Pandu Roga
Iron deficiency anaemia is strongly correlated with a condition known as Pandu Roga in Ayurveda. It manifests as the pallor (pandu) discolouration of the skin, nails, and eyes, and rakta alpata, a decrease in the amount of healthy red blood cells and haemoglobin in the blood. The patients suffering from Pandu Roga usually present with weakness, fatigue, pallor, swelling, loss of appetite, palpitations and hair loss which has a large overlap with the symptoms of conventional anaemia.
Depending on the predominance of dosha and the causative factors, Pandu Roga can be further subdivided into different subtypes, but in most of the presentations, vitiation of pitta dosha, often in combination with the vitiation of the other doshas, is the predominant causative factor.
Ayurvedic Remedies for Anaemia
Some Ayurvedic formulations have proved to be very effective in the management of Pandu Roga. They include Draksharishta, Lohasava, Punarnava Mandura, Chinchadi Lehya, and Dadimadi Ghritha. Their particular value is that when prescribed correctly, they are generally both safe and effective for iron deficiency anaemia, and offer a truly complementary approach to conventional treatment.
However, medication and dietary changes should always be determined by an Ayurvedic practitioner following a thorough assessment of the patient’s specific condition, considering that the root cause and intensity differ greatly from one individual to another.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes, Ayurvedic treatment for Pandu Roga has been found to be quite effective in managing iron deficiency anaemia with specific medicines and dietary advice, but proper assessment is important first.
Pandu Roga is the name of iron deficiency anaemia in Ayurveda , characterised by pale colour of the skin , nails and eyes . It is also characterised by decreased red blood cells and haemoglobin levels .
Iron deficiency anaemia can be prevented by eating iron-rich foods such as lentils, green leafy vegetables, poultry and dried fruits, as well as sources of vitamin B12 such as meat and dairy, and foods rich in folate and vitamin C.
Early symptoms often include weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath with mild activity, pale skin, headaches, and difficulty concentrating, although these may not be noticed in mild cases.
Anaemia is common and needs investigation and proper treatment, not just to be dismissed as simple tiredness. The Pandu Roga model of Ayurveda offers a truly effective adjunct approach with specific herbal formulations and dietary regimens that can be individualised according to each patient’s presentation and root cause.
About the Author
Dr. Keerthi R. Panicker, BAMS, MD (Ay) is an Ayurvedic Physician in Kottakkal Ayurvedic Treatment Centre, Sharjah. Her specialisation is in Swasthavritta (Ayurvedic preventive and social medicine) and her research interests are in lifestyle related metabolic conditions.
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