What is Anaemia? Causes, symptoms, prevention and the role of nutrition

Anaemia can affect the body in several ways and can develop for different reasons. It can have many causes and nutritional deficiencies are among the important ones. A lack of iron is one of the most common nutritional causes of anaemia.
So, understanding what anaemia is and how everyday food choices can support better nutrition is worth knowing.

What is Anaemia?
Anaemia happens when the blood does not have enough healthy red blood cells or haemoglobin to carry oxygen around the body efficiently. This can affect how a person feels and functions during the day.

What causes Anaemia?
Anaemia is not caused by one thing alone. Poor intake or absorption of certain nutrients can play a role but infections, blood loss, chronic health conditions and inherited blood disorders can also be involved.

Some nutritional factors include –

– Not getting enough iron from food
– Low folate intake
– Vitamin B12 deficiency
– Nutritional needs that increase during certain phases of life

Can fortified foods help fill nutritional gaps?
Yes. This is where fortified foods can be a useful place. Fortification means adding selected vitamins or minerals to a food so that it can contribute additional nutrients to the diet. WHO recognises food fortification as one approach that can improve micronutrient intake alongside dietary diversity and other measures.

For a food eaten regularly, this can be a practical way to include specific nutrients as part of an overall balanced diet.

How can fortified atta help in the fight against Anaemia?
Anaemia can develop when the body does not get enough nutrients needed to make healthy red blood cells. When iron, folic acid or vitamin B12 are lacking in the diet, getting enough of these nutrients becomes important. Fortified atta can support this by adding these nutrients to a food that is commonly eaten.

It can help by :-

• Providing iron – Iron is needed to make haemoglobin, which carries oxygen throughout the body.
• Adding folic acid – Folate supports healthy blood cells.
• Including vitamin B12 – B12 also plays a role in healthy red blood cell formation.
• Fitting into daily meals – Using fortified atta regularly can make these nutrients part of everyday food.

According to NFHS 5 data cited by the Press Information Bureau, anaemia remains a significant concern in West Bengal 

• Children aged 6-59 months – 69% were reported to be anaemic.
• Women aged 15-49 years – 71.4% were reported to be anaemic.
• Non pregnant women aged 15-49 years – 71.7% were reported to be anaemic.
• Pregnant women aged 15-49 years – 62.3% were reported to be anaemic.
• Adolescent girls aged 15-19 years – 70.8% were reported to be anaemic.
• Adolescent boys aged 15-19 years – 38.7% were reported to be anaemic.

Why choose Hanumanta Fortified atta?
Keeping everyday nutrition in mind, Hanumanta Foods has introduced Fortified atta with added Iron, Folic acid and Vitamin B12. It brings these nutrients into a familiar kitchen staple, making it easy to include them as part of regular meals.

It’s not about replacing a balanced diet. It is about making thoughtful choices that can add nutritional value to the foods families already enjoy.

Wrapping up
National Nutrition Week is a good reminder that nutrition deserves attention beyond one week of the year. Understanding anaemia, knowing where nutritional gaps can come from and making informed food choices are all steps in the right direction.

Because better nutrition does not always begin with a major change. Sometimes, it begins with paying a little more attention to what goes into an everyday meal.