Red blood cells keep you alive by carrying oxygen throughout your body. However, in polycythemia, which is a chronic blood disease, the number of these cells is much higher than normal and your blood becomes more dense. Thus, less oxygen is carried to all your organs such as the heart and brain. In some cases, a blood clot can form in the veins, causing you to have a heart attack or stroke. Long-term polycythemia can cause bone marrow cancer or leukemia. It is life threatening if left untreated. Patients with polycythemia may develop complications such as blood clots, bone fragility, fatigue, stomach ulcers, gout, and kidney stones. Medical nutrition therapy is also aimed at preventing these complications. Medical nutrition therapy in polycythemia is not a very restrictive diet. In general, a healthy diet should be adopted. However, if a symptom such as kidney stone or gout has developed, a special diet is recommended by the physician and diet therapy is carried out under the control of a dietitian.
• One of the first rules that polycythemia patients should pay attention to is to avoid very low calorie diets. Low-calorie diets may increase the risk of developing certain complications. Patients who are worried about consuming excess calories should follow a reliable path by not consuming foods containing high-fat, white flour and sugar.
• The risk of high blood pressure increases in polycythemia due to increased blood volume. Excessive sodium consumption should be avoided to keep blood pressure balanced. The most reliable way to do this is not to add salt to the meals at the table and to stay away from delicatessen products, pickles, ready-made soups and meals.
• Raw vegetables and at least one portion of vegetable food should be included in every meal in the diet. In addition, 2-3 servings of fruit should be consumed per day. Vegetables and fruits prevent diseases such as heart attack, which is one of the complications of polycythemia, and are also protective against cancer with their rich antioxidant, vitamin and mineral varieties. Water consumption also supports blood circulation.
• May increase the risk of blood clots High-fat diet should be avoided because of its food. Fried foods, fatty parts of meat, cream and pasta/salad dressings should not be consumed. In addition, since trans fats are also associated with cancer, consumption of packaged junk food should be stopped.
• Although it is thought that iron should be restricted as it is involved in the production of blood cells, there is no evidence to support this. Therefore, an unconscious restriction should not be made.
In general, patients with polycythemia should follow an adequate diet rich in vegetables and fruits, including whole grains and lean protein sources. For this, the healthy plate model can be applied. According to this model, half of your plate should consist of vegetables, a quarter of protein sources such as lean chicken and fish, and the other quarter of whole grains. The Mediterranean Diet model, which consists of fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes and healthy fats such as olive oil, will also be a suitable choice against the complications of polycythemia.
In patients with a complication such as gout or kidney disease, the diet should be under the control of a nutritionist. Regardless of the stage of the disease, major changes should not be made in the diet without consulting a physician.
DIETICIAN GÖKHAN CELIK
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