How a raw vegetable diet can help manage thalassemia minor.
Netflix celebrity Shalini Passi‘s preference for a largely raw fruit and vegetable diet to tackle her conditions of thalassemia minor and anemia has raised questions about its efficacy.
Thalassemia minor, also known as beta-thalassemia, affects hemoglobin production, making iron management crucial.
Clinical dietitian Umang Malhotra explained excess iron from frequent transfusions can damage organs in thalassemia patients over time.
He highlighted the difference between heme iron in meat absorbed readily and non-heme plant iron absorbed slower, with a lower risk of overload.
A raw vegetable diet provides abundantly the latter, allowing safer iron levels. Being rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, vegetables also protect blood cells.
Folate and iron-rich greens further support red blood cell production. Cruciferous vegetables and nuts to boost health.
Vitamin C enhances non-heme iron absorption, making citrus fruits and peppers beneficial. However, nutrition from a raw diet alone may lack protein, vitamin B12, and calcium crucial for anemia management.
Weight monitoring is also important as excess loss could impact those with chronic conditions. A balanced approach thus appears ideal for thalassemia patients like Passi to reap the raw diet’s iron-lowering advantages.
