calcium blocks the absorption of iron from the food. This condition is also known as thalassemia major or Cooley anaemia. For example, a person with beta-thalassaemia minor has one changed copy of the HBB gene, and one unchanged copy of the gene. For thalassemia minor, there are not many diet changes to be followed. Thalassemia alpha trait or thalassemia alpha minor involves inheriting some, but not all, of the defective genes. In alpha minor cases, two genes are missing. Symptoms in alpha are not much but result only in sometimes slight or severe anaemia. Thalassemia Major Patients can have a pretty much normal food diet of what they wish to have, beside some patients themself realised the need to cut down on the intake of foods which are riched in iron content. There are four separate alleles involved in the expression of thalassemia alpha. wheatgrass juice everyday. I follow the Weight Watchers diet, so I try to limit my caloric intake. Thalassemia patients should have high calcium food to avoid the overloading of iron in the body due to regular blood transfusion. Will thal rule you or will you rule thal? Posted on Tue, 24 Dec 2013 . Food Rich In Calcium. Therefore, strate-gies for increasing dietary calcium and magnesium should emphasize lactose-free dairy and calcium-fortified foods. This type is treated primarily through folate supplements, routine blood transfusions and sometimes bone marrow transplants. are there any specific foods a thalassemia minor patient should eat? Thalassemia is an inherited (i.e., passed from parents to children through genes) blood disorder caused when the body doesn’t make enough of a protein called hemoglobin, an important part of red blood cells. Send thanks to the doctor. To get vitamin D, take the sunbath of 5-10 minutes early in the morning when sun rays are not so strong. People with thalassemia minor don’t usually have any symptoms. A person may have either alpha thalassemia trait or beta thalassemia trait, depending upon which form of beta protein is absent. Oysters, pork, beans, liver, peanut butter, beef, tofu, flour tortillas, cream of wheat, infant cereal, watermelon, prunes, peas, spinach, raisins, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables all fall under this category. If 2 mutated genes, then your signs and symptoms will be moderate to severe. Thalassemia is really a group of blood problems, not just one. A nutrient extremely important for thalassemia patients is calcium. To make hemoglobin, you need two proteins, alpha and beta. 0 0. : None. Babies born with two defective beta hemoglobin genes usually are healthy at birth but develop signs and symptoms within the first two years of life. I am a vegetarian who eats fish occasionally. Answered by : Dr. Vaishalee Punj ( General & Family Physician) Read More ... Public Forum Discussions. Both alpha and beta thalassemia manifest as thalassemia major and thalassemia minor. Patients with anemia often Patients with anemia often There are several different kinds of anemia: Aplastic anemia Sickle cell anemia Thalassemia Iron deficiency anemia Vitamin deficiency anemia Currently, there are no known prevention… Other products, like cereal and orange juice, may contain extra iron. The in-take of dairy foods is also low, which might, in part, be related to lactose intolerance. "can people with thalassemia take iron supplements if the iron level are really low ie; less than 2? Nutrition and Thalassemia. 0. ... Foods and Drugs to Avoid in Alpha Thalassemia (Read 78975 times) Andy Battaglia . There are three types of thalassemia - thalassemia minor/trait, thalassemia intermedia, and thalassemia major. 0 0. The effects of β‑thalassemia differ from person to person based on how much β‑globin your body is actually producing. For Thalassemia minor patients Iron rich food is recommended. People who have thalassemia trait (also called thalassemia minor) carry the genetic trait for thalassemia but do not suffer from any health problems except a mild anemia. For people living with thalassemia, because too much iron may build up in the blood, foods high in iron may need to be limited. Foods that are not good for Thalassemia patients. Nutritional deficiencies have been common in the cases of thalassemia. In individuals with Thalassemia minor, “non-transfusional iron overload” is very unusual unless, ... Having a basic knowledge about composition of common food stuffs and especially with relevance to the contents of iron, zinc, magnesium is a bonus and helps to avoid pitfalls - more so in the case of vegetarians. Anemia occurs in patients who do not have enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin to transport oxygen throughout the body. Home > Blogs > Foods that are not good for Thalassemia patients. Please do not send questions about thalassemia to this address. and growth in thalassemia. But as far as actual foods, I don't follow any sort of special diet related to having Thalassemia. Thalassemia minor. Please suggest what extra dietery changes should I make to get rid of the Fefol tablets and take care of my low Hb, iron deficiency and Beta Thalassemia minor ... View answer. Oysters, pork, beans, liver, peanut butter, beef, tofu, flour tortillas, cream of wheat, infant cereal, watermelon, prunes, peas, spinach, raisins, broccoli, and green leafy vegetables all fall under this category. Two genes make the beta haemoglobin chain. Thalassemia is generally of two types- Alpha and Beta thalassemia. 90,000 U.S. doctors in 147 specialties are here to answer your questions or offer you advice, prescriptions, and more. She or he will be a carrier for the condition, but should not experience symptoms beyond minor anemia and fatigue, if any symptoms … We recommend that the patients undergoing blood transfusion shall go for a … Answered on Jul 18, 2014. Thalassemia minor is an inherited disorder characterized by a low concentration of hemoglobin and fewer red blood cells than normal. 5 years ago. 1 doctor answer. And for thalassemia patients on blood transfusion therapy and chelation therapy (to bind excess iron in the body) are advised to follow a strict low iron diet. Dear Dr. Roach: I am blessed to be a very healthy 63-year-old woman. To date, numerous studies have been done on identifying the novel HbF-inducing agents and understanding the underlying mechanism for stimulating the HbF production.