Question

Tracy is a 20-year old college student that has started a new diet to lose weight. She has sworn off meat and bread. She eats some vegetables like lettuce and corn, but avoids potatos and spinach. She drinks plenty of milk because she thinks it is a good source of protein. She doesn't like oranges or orange juice. Lately she has been feeling tired and her friends have told her she look pale. She finally goes to the doctor and her blood work shows small (microcytic) red blood cells that appear paler than normal. What vitamin/mineral is she deficient in? Foods rich in what vitamin will also help her deficiency?

Answer 1

Based on the diet pattern, symptoms and diagnostic tests, Tracy is suffering from hypochromic microcytic anaemia. This is the condition that develop because of the deficiency of IRON basically. the problem with tracy is that she is not taking adequate amount of iron and vitamin C. Her condition can be improved by taking iron supplement or iron rich food and vitamin C in her diet. Iron will be needing to cure the disease while vitamin C helps in increasing the ability to absorb iron by the body.