Anemia, or iron deficiency, can occur in people with IBD for
several reasons. One reason is inadequate intake of iron, which
can occur because people with IBD may have to limit iron-rich
foods because they are no longer palatable. Second, iron may be
poorly absorbed in people with IBD, especially patients with
Crohn's disease or those who have had surgery to remove portions
of the GI tract. Also, iron levels can be depleted due to
bleeding in the GI tract. Eating foods that are rich in iron,
and avoiding foods that inhibit iron absorption is a first step.
Supplements can also help. Welcome to my Bog Blog. "Bog," by the
way, is British slang for toilet and it seems so appropriate for
an IBD blog. If you had told me when I was twenty years-old that
some day not too far in the future I would be scoping out the
nearest toilet wherever I went I would have said you were nuts.
But, indeed, this odd habit became part of my…