Showing recent highlights
Lifestyle
ScienceDaily · May 27, 2026
A study found that drinking guava juice — particularly alongside iron supplements — helped women and teenage girls with anemia absorb iron more effectively, leading to noticeable improvements in hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen). Guava juice appears to work well because guava contains very high amounts of vitamin C, which helps the body take in iron from food and supplements. This finding came from a review of 17 studies, suggesting the effect has been seen across multiple research efforts.
What's New
PubMed · May 25, 2026
Researchers found that roxadustat, a pill used to treat anemia (low red blood cell counts) in people with chronic kidney disease who are on a type of home dialysis called peritoneal dialysis, helped raise hemoglobin — the protein in red blood cells that carries oxygen — and improved how the body handles iron. The drug also lowered hepcidin, a hormone that can block the body from using iron properly, without causing notable changes in cholesterol, blood fats, or blood pressure. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed · May 8, 2026
Researchers found that people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD — a condition where the digestive tract becomes chronically inflamed, including conditions like Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis) are at higher risk of developing anemia, meaning their blood doesn't carry enough oxygen to keep the body feeling well. Looking at data from over 111,000 patients, the study identified six key warning signs that made anemia more likely: older age, a history of smoking, having the disease in an active flare, high levels of a blood marker called C-reactive protein (a sign of inflammation), low albumin levels (a protein that shows how well the body is being nourished), and a more severe, tunneling form of Crohn's disease. Spotting these risk factors early could help doctors watch more closely for anemia in people with IBD before it gets bad enough to affect their quality of life. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · March 27, 2026
Researchers found that giving iron directly through an IV (into a vein) may help people who have both heart failure and kidney disease — specifically by lowering the chances of being hospitalized for heart failure or dying from heart-related causes. They also noticed a possible extra benefit for patients who had anemia (low red blood cell levels) alongside these conditions, though that finding was less certain. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
What's New
PubMed (Open Access Guidelines) · March 1, 2026
Researchers found that women who ate rice or wheat flour enriched with vitamins and minerals (a process called food fortification, where nutrients are added during manufacturing) had higher hemoglobin levels — a measure of the oxygen-carrying protein in red blood cells — compared to women who did not eat fortified foods, which suggests this approach may help reduce anemia, a condition where the blood doesn't carry enough oxygen to the body. The improvement was most consistent for fortified rice, where there was a very high likelihood the benefit was real, though the effect on reducing the overall number of women with anemia was less clear. This is early research and hasn't yet changed treatment guidelines.
For informational purposes only. Not medical advice. Always consult a physician before making any health decisions.