The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Nurse Jon, Rn (Scranton, Pa) on 06/04/2012
★★★★★
Black Strap Molasses / Anemia
When working in the hospital as the case manager for patients who would refuse blood transfusions (the majority of my patients were not for religous reasons, rather for health concerns) there would be some who the blood building drug EPO would not work.
According to the manufacturer guidelines, the TIBC (total iron binding capicity) study needed to be used and not the traditioinal iron stores that the docs typically asked for. When the EPO did not work, the TIBC was always low. On getting a doctors order and approval from the pharmacy, we gave one table spoon of BSM mixed with peanut butter three times a day.
We saw 3 grams per dl increase in RBC (red blood cell) counts in as little as 24 hours. It was not that the body was making blood miraculously as it takes 2 weeks for a stem cell (red blood cell wanna-be's) to mature, rather the theory was that the signaling that the blood would be available soon caused a release of shunted blood.
This happened in patients with hemaglobin blood counts as low as 2.9 (the lowest I case managed). Counts continued to rise for the next few days until they were at safe levels. Most were cancer patients. Research shows that avoiding blood transfusions decreases the risk of metastatic cancer. BSM makes this possible. None of my BSM doped patients returned with metastatic cancer. In time we discovered that EPO was not needed when there was no arthritis. The BSM worked on its own.
In over 600 patients I cared for, not only did none die, they often got out of the hospital faster (1/2 to 3 days) and cheaper than those who got blood. The oldest, a 79 year old woman, got out three days faster than a 35 year old who got blood, both with broken hips. More importantly, The BSM doped patients had lower morbidity (getting sick) and lower mortality (dying) rates that those who got blood.
It should be noted, the only way to get this care is to go to a hospital that specializes in advance transfusion practice or bloodless medicine care.
Now as a holistic nurse, this is one of the treatments of choice for many of my patients who have Risk for 'Altered Nutrition: Less than body requirement to maintain normal red blood cell count (this is a nursing diagnosis for someone who has a medical diagnosis of the various types of anmeia).'
For those with arthritis, I decrease the BSM to a teaspoon once a day and add one raw red beet to their weekly diet.
Chlorophyll
Posted by Lisa (Thousand Oaks, Ca, Usa) on 04/22/2010
★★★★★
I just want to add that I was severely anemic throughout my childhood and had to go every couple of weeks for blood tests. It was a terrible experience especially for a child. Anyway, I was always taking iron supplements. So, why was there no real change? From my understanding, iron is very difficult for our bodies to integrate. Often, when women are pregnant they will be given iron supplements which then cause the woman constipation, along with all of her other issues that come with pregnancy!
Well, I have an interesting story. When I was pregnant with my first son, I was also selling these amazing vitamins for a small company. Simultaneously, my midwife checked my blood to find that I was severely anemic. She warned me that it was so severe she would not be willing to deliver my baby if this was not changed immediately. Well, the company I was selling for had run a contest for sales and I won which included a luncheon with the founder who was also a biochemist. He was a very sweet man and I told him my predicament because at the time I was a committed vegetarian. He told me the answer was simple. To take liquid chlorophyll which I could obtain from the health food store. He explained (in a simplified manner, I'm sure) that chlorophyll is the "blood" of plants and helps facilitate the building of our blood. I immediately went and got that and added it every morning to my smoothie. The next visit to my midwife was astounding. She looked at me, her eyes wide and smiling and asked what I'd done. My blood was absolutely fine. When I told her she was thrilled and so was I!
I have since given this advice to several people and the results have been the same. One was my husband's granny who at the time was well into her 80's and the drs. threatened to hospitalize her if they didn't see her red blood count go up. My mother-in-law at the time knew how much I studied alternative healing and asked my advice. She immediately put granny on chlorophyll and voila! the next visit the drs. were astounded and couldn't believe it. I asked my mother-in-law if she explained but she said she didn't feel comfortable doing that.
Anyway, if you have issues with anemia, consider chlorophyll instead of iron. Much easier on the body... Lisa
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Lisa (So. Cal) on 03/02/2015
★★★★★
Two of my children had anemia. We tried many iron supplements for several months and their iron levels barely moved up. I tried 1 teaspoon of blackstrap in chocolate rice milk once a day and within 2 months, their iron levels were normal.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Rhondie (Pa) on 10/17/2017
★★★★★
I like reading what others have to say about natural ways of healing the body, with what God has placed on earth for us to use.
I take a tsp. of BSM everyday and love it, my mom passed away last year at the age of 89, sometimes when she was in her 70s her Doctor would say her iron was low, after three months went by and each time going back to get tested, I told my sister to try Black Strap Molasses, until her next visit to a specialist the doctor wanted her to see, well each day I told my sister who lived with our mom, to give her 1 tsp. a day until the visit, that day came week and a half later, the lady doctor came out and said from moms doctor report of iron level 6 it was up to almost 10 and my sister told her what I suggested taking the BSM, and so the lady Doctor said well it sure was a good thing so keep it up. I sure am glad the natural worked for our mom, It truly was an answer to Prayer....
Beetroot
Posted by Desiree (Branson, Missouri) on 12/02/2011
★★★★★
My mother has had normocytic anemia for years and years. This is when each red blood cell is in good shape, but the amount of red blood cells is fewer than there should be. She has taken iron pills (ferrous sulfate) for a while now and it has slightly helped, but she has still had the anemia. In the past year she has had severe kidney ailments and was hospitalized and given several blood transfusions. Recently I have been taking care of her and she has been eating a lot healthier, taking herbs for her liver and kidneys, drinking ACV, and drinking a smoothie with fruits and vegetables every day. Her health has drastically improved, but she still had the anemia.
However, about 2 weeks ago I started putting a cup of beet kvass in her smoothies and on her most recent visit to the doctor, her anemia improved quite a bit. She still has it, but it's gotten way better. She also takes the iron supplement still, but that alone wasn't doing it. I'm certain it's the beet kvass that has improved her red blood cell count.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Lynda555555 (Grand Rapids, Mi) on 07/14/2011
★☆☆☆☆WARNING!
Why do you add recipes that contain milk with molasses to absorb iron? Calcium blocks the absorption of iron. Many people may get sick or worse die from inaccurate info about iron.
Chlorophyll
Posted by Litsa (Fairbanks, Alaska) on 10/06/2010
★★★★★
I just want you to know for people who suffer for anemia I use chlorophyl-1 tsp full in the morning mixing with water and drink it everyday you will see fast results. I hope this help
Blood Building Recipe
Posted by Bai Li (Houston, Texas) on 09/11/2009
★★★★★
Building Blood in Preparation for Surgery
I don't know who first gave us the recipe, but it is said that it really works:
Take a pound of beef stew meat (or any other cut you can get, no or low fat) and put it into a Glass canning jar, some do this without any added water, some add
only a little, not higher than the level of the meat. Put the lid and band on the canning jar, and put this into a canner or large deep pot, add some water and put the lid on the pot, bring to a boil, then simmer for 6 hours. All of the IRON is cooked out of the meat and into the water. Give this to the person who is anemic or anticipating surgery, and also give them Black Strap Molasses, the one with the highest iron, calcium and magnesium, listed on this website, ONE tablespoon along with the beef broth. This will shock the doctors, just how fast it will build the blood. We are giving my mother 1 cup three times a day. So you may need to cook several pounds, jars at a time. Our friends are doing this for us too, and one of them got about 1 quart of juice from 4 (four) pounds of beef.
IMPORTANT: Don't fill the jars too full, because when it is boiling you can lose some of the juice into the pot, and any juice lost is IRON lost. Leave at least a couple of inches above the meat in each jar. There are other treatments that will help and if you email me, I will reply with what else we are doing, that you may not have heard of, and you can ask your doctor for these too. The reason that this works so well is that the HEME from meat it very quickly absorbed by the body, but the HEME from vegetables is slowly absorbed by the body. You can find more information about this on the internet.
Pumpkin Seeds
Posted by Mona (Sydney, Australia) on 08/22/2008
★★★★★
PUMPKIN SEEDS for Anemia-IM in my late 20's and i have been Anemic all my life,ive had to have injections and take iron tablets but i got sick of it in the end and my doc told me that if i carried on taking iron tablets all my life i will kill my liver,so he suggested i start eating everything with high iron. The funniest thing was i discoverd pumpkin seeds when i had my second child and was told i needed a blood transfusion, but i rejected and went on a mission to get my iron levels up without it. I ate hand full morning,evening and night and after 2 weeks the doctor was in shock at how fast my iron level went up. SO PLEASE give it a go and let me know the results. GOOD LUCK.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Herbert (Fort Worth, Texas) on 04/06/2016
★★★★★
Take 1 tbsp. molasses, half fresh squeezed lemon, and 1 cup water mix well and drink.
During the day eat beets or drink beet juice and don't forget your selenium, vitamin C and folate acid. Post in 1 month with the good news.
Herb The Herbalist
Beetroot
Posted by John Moore (Ayutthaya, Thailand.) on 04/08/2009
I would like to simply tell of some very useful information regarding ANEMIA.
Some years ago, my young grandson was diagnosed with ANEMIA.
Doctors advised on giving him iron tablets.
I took to the internet and did a whole lot of research on the matter.
The advice was simple, beetroot (Latin Name Beta vulgaris) or beet as some know it, has a very high content of iron.
I have no medical qualifications and am not advising that anyone should rush out and purchase beetroot.
However I have never ever heard of anyone developing any problems from eating this root vegetable.
One can also purchase the beetroot crystals from chemists worldwide, but I would just keep it simple and grate some fresh beetroot and add it to your salad.
My grandson is over his problem and just loves beetroot now.
Thank you all and best wishes from Ayutthaya Thailand.
John Moore.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Shelly (Billings, Montana) on 04/13/2008
★★★★★
I have been anemic all of my life. I was born with it. After a recent blood test revealed my level being at 9 points, my physician insisted on having me eat an iron fortified cereal each day. When I suggested black strap molasses, he laughed and said it would only make me sick. I decided to go with BSM after reading up on it's nutrients. Nothing against cereal, but I'm not a big cereal eater. After taking in 2 tablespoons of BSM for a month, my level went from 9 points to 11. I stopped feeling tired, having rapid heart beats, and slept better. Oh and another benefit to this? Lighter period and less cramping. My doctor could not believe that BSM raised my level. To note: I used unsulphered BSM.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Christopher (Elgin, Illinois, U.s.) on 03/15/2012
★★★★★
My wife is pregnant and is also anemic (has come very close to fainting) and is also hypoglycemic (coconut oil has helped along with snacks throughout the day). She has been taking iron supplements even before she was told to. My mom told me about Blackstrap Molasses from earthclinic which we both visit often but of course overlooked anemia here. My wife has been taking Blackstrap Molasses for about 5-6 weeks now and the doctor called this morning, her iron levels are going up (still low though) and said if she keeps at the amount she has been doing she should be fine by delievery (will continue to take it after also). I have also noticed she is much more clear-headed and alert now, the hemoglobin is finally starting to be able to do its job! Thanks for everyone's posts.
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Stephanie (Douglasville, Georgia) on 12/14/2012
★★★★★
I have been using organic blackstrap molasses for almost 2 years now for uterine fibroids to control the bleeding and one thing I know it's that only organic works to stop the break through bleeding and the plantation brand does not work. Tree of life is the only brand I have found that is organic and works. I can get a large bottle at nutrition.com for 7.29. Unfortunately it has not reversed or stopped the growth of the fibroids but it did stop the heavy and break through bleeding and I have normal periods now. Once I had to buy the plantation brand because my local health food store was out of my regular one and within 2 days I started bleeding so it does not work. I compared the nutritional value levels and the plantation brand had lower levels. I take 1 tablespoon every morning. I was on the verge of having to have a blood transfusion because my blood was so low, this stuff completely reversed it.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Amy (USA and Canada) on 10/23/2019
★★★★★
Has your doctor mentioned copper? I ask because western medicine is so ill-informed when it comes to copper-an essential trace mineral that's crucial for iron levels and anemia. It's been very demonized in the media and a lot of people are under the impression that copper causes cancer, dementia, inflammation, etc when this isn't the case. If you get the wrong copper test, it can show you're high when in fact you aren't. An intracellular test, like a RBC (or WBC, some SOD) copper level and NOT a serum or plasma level, is what's needed. People who don't respond to iron supplements are especially low in copper quite often. Also, a lot of natural remedies, natural health, truth in general, are being suppressed and censored by Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. If you search with Duckduckgo.com (there are others too, like Qwant, SearX and Good Gopher are others I've seen, but not used yet) you will find some good information and there's a lot copper does for the body. I started copper and my energy has increased, arthritis pain is a lot better, sleep is better and cognitive abilities have improved. Anemia is gone and iron levels normal-without taking iron! Taking zinc supplements can easily lower your copper levels and a lot of people are low-level copper deficient, as it's very under diagnosed. It's usually only caught when someone is so low that they have ataxia and peripheral neuropathy. This is something I wrestled with for years and once I found the copper, it improved so many areas of my health. These days, iron is in everything and is even built into GMO foods and excess iron isn't a good thing. We're more susceptible to viruses, pathogens and more iron isn't the answer. Low copper issues; Poor immunity, grey or unusually light hair, insulin resistance, osteoporosis, HBP, high plasma cholesterol, fatigue, lower melanin, dry skin, high risk of clot formation, dizziness, weakness, shortness of breath, malabsorption issues, low white blood cells, joint and muscle pain and more. Of course you can get too much copper, like you can get too much of just about anything and it could be dangerous. Also important to get the right kind of copper. In the US and Canada, the soil is quite depleted. When I lived in New Zealand, I was impressed by the way people took care of the land. it's been a while and I hope that's still the case, but if you have GMO food there now, be especially diligent about what you eat. I really hope this helps, but please do some research on it. It really sounds like that's what's going on but hopefully you can get to the bottom of it. Good luck!
Blackstrap Molasses
Posted by Kylie (Whitianga, New Zealand) on 09/02/2008
★★★★★
Blackstrap Molasses & Anemia: I have HYPERthyroidism and have to have blood tests every month which show low iron (but I've never been diagnosed as anemic). I tried Blackstrap Molasses for a month and my iron reading improved substantially. I took about 4 teaspoons a day for a month. My specialist asked me to stop taking it as she was worried about the iodine content but I'm going to go back on it as it doesn't constipate (and I feel is better absorbed) than iron tablets. I also notice better, tighter skin on my face and a healthy glow. Can't stand the taste or smell of it so the easiest way I've found to take it is to put a teaspoon of it in your mouth, then wash it down with water. Quick and painless!
Ice Cravings
Posted by Angela (Tallahassee, Florida) on 08/13/2008
★★★★★
In response to the lady who ate everyone's ice and craved lemons. Eating ice is a common sign of anemia. You are/were deficient in iron. A very serious problem. Lemons are nature's natural antibiotic. Our bodies "know" what they need. When we crave chocolate we are deficient in the minerals chromium and vanadium and these deficiencies are the cause of diabetes. Just "know" that when you are craving something your body is trying to tell you it's seriously deficient in minerals, vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids, etc. If you are craving sugary, salty, etc things, maybe even things that are not even "food" substances, get yourself on a high quality LIQUID mineral suppliment immediately and start taking vitamins (liquid if possible) in addition to them. (There are 92 so you can't get by with taking 5 or 6.) You will find an almost immediate relief and healing. In addition, make sure you drink a tsp or 2 of _____'s Apple Cider Vinegar in a glass of water every day to get your Ph in a slightly alkaline state. This environment is not conducive to viruses, bacterias, cancers, tumors, fungus, molds, etc. It cleanses your system, breaks down fat cells and cellulite, flushes out your kidneys and fat, helps or stops arthritis pain and multiple other problem areas including acid reflux. I could go on forever. I hope this helps someone to have a more healthy life!
Beets, Dietary Changes
Posted by Libraloveshealth (Los Angeles, California) on 02/27/2017
★★★★★
I have dealt with anemia over the years due to heavy periods and I also was doing dieting and wasn't taking any supplements. I recently had an anemia crisis, almost fainted one day, ice cravings, severe chest pain! I had to get myself back up together and finally got my iron levels right. I am taking a supplement 18mg iron gluconate a day. I also loaded up on beet juice which always helps and is a great remedy, I love to juice beets with carrots, orange and lemon. I didn't like doing this, but I had to go back to eating meat more often.
Beets, clams, liver and steak are the best for anemia. I tried the liver the first time the beef liver wasn't bad and it quickly helped me. Good vegetable sources are fennel(amazing for anemia, leeks, artichoke, mangoes(very good), pears and apricots. Oatmeal is a good source too. I hear spinach is good, but then I hear some things about it reducing iron.
I now am finally better, no more headaches, no more scary chest and leg pains, and I can now workout without feeling like I'm going to pass out after a few minutes. It will take time to get the levels back up but it is worth it. I started to feel better within a week. I usually know when my iron is low cause I start to crave these foods the clams, steak, liver, etc. so listen to your body it will let you know. Rubbing lemongrass oil on the soles of the feet and wrists is also helpful for anemia it is energizing. The tea is good for anemia too. Be careful with too much garlic it can cause anemia to worsen.
Beetroot
Posted by Catherine (Wellington, New Zealand) on 06/21/2011
Beetroot is one of the vegetables high in oxalates which impairs non-heme iron absorption. Other foods also high in oxalates include spinach, kale, nuts, chocolate, tea, rhubarb, strawberries and herbs such as oregano, basil and parsey. This will suprise many as it goes against the popular perception of these items.
Cautionary Note
Posted by Michael (Virginia) on 01/21/2018
Why give it just one star? BSM obviously works, judging by the great number of five stars. Anemia can have other causes, although iron deficiency is the main cause. It is highly unlikely that taking a tablespoon of BSM is going to do anyone harm, even if a deficiency of iron isn't the problem, unless they have a rare disease that causes them to absorb too much iron.
Beetroot
Posted by Linda (Fairview, Oklahoma, Usa) on 02/05/2011
★★★★★
Yeah! Molasses, molasses, molasses. I have a digestive problem with BSM; have celiac disease and the malt seems to be a real problem. I am also anemic. I have found spinach, peaches, beetroot, cinnamon and chickory all to be helpful. Of course, energy begats energy and exercise (moderate when tired) is great for an energy boost.
