A professor of haematology and
transfusion medicine, College of Medicine, University of Lagos, and
consultant haematologist at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital,
Sulaimon Akanmu, tells ARUKAINO UMUKORO about the use of products, popularly referred to as ‘blood tonics’
What are the major functions of the blood in the body?
A major function of the blood to the
human body is that it collects and delivers oxygen from the lungs to the
tissues via an important protein component called the haemoglobin in
the red blood cell. The absence of the red cells and therefore
haemoglobin means oxygen will not get to the body tissues, like the
heart or the brain, which means the life span of a person can end within
180 minutes. Without blood collecting and delivering oxygen to the
tissues, there is no life. The second major function of the blood is to
transport rich metabolic products such as carbon dioxide and carbon
monoxide throughout the body. Also, the white blood cells provide the
body with a lot of immunity. It helps the body to fight a variety of
infection – fungal, bacterial or parasitic – and infectious diseases.
The blood also helps the body to heal properly.
What does it mean when someone is said to have a shortage of blood?
When one begins to see the symptoms of a
shortage of blood, then the level of shortage may be much. By
definition, an individual is said to have a shortage of blood if the
amount of haemoglobin that is derived from a 100ml of blood is less than
10 grammes. Thus, that individual is said to be anaemic. However, an
adult may not show very serious symptoms of anaemia, not until the
haemoglobin levels have fallen to something below seven grammes per
decilitres of blood. In children under five, the haemoglobin may have
fallen to about five grammes per decilitre of blood. This leads to a
shortage of oxygen in the body. As a result, this causes
light-headedness, some people feel dizzy and have continual headache.
The shortage of blood to the retina of the eye leads to a blurring of
vision, while in the inner ear; one begins to hear funny noises.
Does anaemia affect all age groups?
Yes, anaemia affects all age groups and
genders. The majority of anaemia cases in children are usually due to
malaria infections which could lead to anaemic heart failure. Anaemia
from malaria is a major cause of death in paediatric age groups. Also,
some diseases such as cancer of the anus, cancer of the colon, lead to
anaemia. In the very elderly, there is what is called the anaemia of the
age, the bone marrow gets weak and does not form blood as it should.
This is referred to as anaemia bone marrow failure. Factors that could
raise one’s risk of anaemia include eating diet that is low in iron,
vitamins, or minerals, blood loss from surgery or an injury, serious
illnesses, such as kidney disease, cancer, diabetes and thyroid disease.
Iron deficiency is the commonest cause of anaemia globally, including
in Nigeria.
On the issue of ‘blood tonic,’ who are those who need it most?
As far as I am concerned, there is
nothing like blood tonic. If you are talking about iron deficiency as a
cause of anaemia, I can talk about the need for iron replacement
therapy. Anybody that has been diagnosed to have iron deficiency need
iron replacement therapy. It could also be as a result of folic acid or
vitamin B deficiency. What is given to treat anaemia is dependent on the
type of anaemia that the individual has. If an individual is anaemic as
a result of iron deficiency, he or she is given iron replacement. Iron
deficiency would require iron replacement therapy, folic acid deficiency
would require folic acid replacement therapy, and vitamin B deficiency
would require vitamin B replacement therapy. If anaemia is as a result
of bone marrow failure, then the issues or causes have to be addressed.
Many people usually take what is generally known as blood tonic for such issues.
I think it is just a common, general-used term. But the term ‘blood tonic’ is alien to scientific medicine.
What then should be used to describe what is commonly referred to as blood tonics?
They are basically multivitamins and
multivitamins help the enzymes in the body to function properly. All
chemical reactions in the body are enzyme-dependent and enzymes require
co-enzymes to function. They are useful to the body, but the idea that
it is a blood tonic is misleading, because it does not boost the blood.
People take these products as if they have the ability to increase their
blood levels.
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