Most Common Causes of Anemia

Anemia is a common blood disorder. The body needs various nutrients to carry out important functions such as creating red blood cells. The Mayo Clinic writes, "Red blood cells carry oxygen from your lungs to all parts of your body." Without many healthy red blood cells in the body, people suffer from a variety of symptoms from weakness to memory loss. There a few common causes of anemia that can usually be remedied.

Blood Loss

• Blood loss is the main cause of anemia. Heavy menstrual periods, uterine fibroids, peptic ulcers, and colon polyps are just a few situations that can lead to blood and iron loss.

Iron Deficiency

• Many people suffer from anemia due to low levels of iron or a problem in absorbing iron. This mineral is important in producing hemoglobin which gives blood its red color.

Vitamin C Deficiency

• A diet low in fruits and green leafy vegetable can lead to deficiency of vitamin C. In time anemia can develop.

Folate Deficiency

• Folate is one of the B vitamins. It is also known as B-9. Like vitamin C, if the body is not getting enough of these vitamins, vitamin deficiency anemia develops.

Vitamin B-12 Deficiency

• A lack of vitamin B-12 leads to pernicious anemia.

Small Intestine Diseases

• For some people a disease in the small intestine such as celiac disease or Crohn's disease leads to an inability to absorb vitamins B-12, C and folate. If the body cannot absorb these necessary nutrients, anemia develops.