Sickle cell disease affects your mind and body
Because the crescent shape of sickle cells makes them stiff and sticky, they can stick together and block blood flow.
People with sickle cell disease experience tissue injury, impaired oxygen supply and inflammation throughout their body
This leads to:
- pain
- fatigue
- other difficulties, including in the brain and central nervous system
Generations have understood instinctively that food is medicine.
In fact, the potential of combining natural and pharmaceutical medicine is a part of a growing approach to the management of sickle cell disease in Africa. Many traditional foods and herbs are incorporated and studied in combination with medical treatment.
The cells in your gut play a key role in health. The microbes within the stomach and digestive tract spur metabolism, brain and mental health, energy, the immune system, and many other complex processes. Foods that we eat interact with the gut cells and affect all of these areas, notably inflammation, which can cause symptoms to flare, including mood symptoms like depression and anxiety.
One way to help reduce inflammation is to include foods in your diet that help lower it, such as omega-3 fatty acids.
- Salmon and other fatty fish, edamame, walnuts, flaxseed, eggs and dairy are all good sources.
Other foods that help reduce inflammation include:
- Leafy green vegetables, berries, oranges and tomatoes, brown rice, beans and mushrooms.
- Probiotic foods are also important, like yogurt, cottage cheese, sauerkraut, pickles and pickled vegetables.
Healthy foods are important to mental health. As another example, brain chemicals such as serotonin are produced in the gut and thus need healthy food sources. Over the years, the amount of research on the connection of food and mental health has become so extensive that the specialty known as nutritional psychiatry was developed.
As you expand on your plan for symptom management, creating a meal plan that incorporates whole and minimally processed foods can be a powerful tool. If you’re unsure where to begin, you can start by replacing foods gradually and setting small goals to build on.
Any mention of nutrition in sickle cell disease must include the importance of hydration. Hydration is vital to aiding the prevention of red blood cell sickling and for keeping blood from becoming too thick. The benefits of drinking plenty of water are extensive – it can help you feel fuller, aids in digestion, and helps carry nutrients and medications throughout the body more effectively.
Just as importantly, adequate water intake improves brain function, fatigue and mood, while inadequate hydration raises the risk of symptoms of anxiety and depression.
TIP
If you don’t enjoy plain water, you can infuse it with fruit, an ounce of fruit juice, sliced cucumber or mint. Consider freezing fruit or fruit juice and using it as an ice cube.
The benefits of exercise for mental health are well documented. While sickle cell disease requires caution for some, recent research indicates that light exercise such as walking, biking, stretching and strength training can improve circulation and symptoms.
It’s important to talk to your doctor first, but physical activity reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, and improves brain function, memory and mood.
A little physical movement is better than none.
