If you have warm autoimmune hemolytic anemia (warm AIHA), you may wonder whether changing your diet can help manage your condition. No specific diet can treat or cure autoimmune hemolytic anemia, but eating a balanced diet can support your overall health and provide nutrients needed to make healthy red blood cells.

Focus on a variety of nutrient-dense foods and follow these eight diet tips for AIHA to help support the work you do with your AIHA specialist.

Nutrition for Autoimmune Hemolytic Anemia: 8 Diet Tips

Before you start any new eating or activity plan, check in with your healthcare provider. Once you get the OK, you can consider dietary changes. They can’t cure hemolytic anemia, but they can help support your immunity and overall wellness. Consider some of these diet tips in addition to your autoimmune hemolytic anemia treatment.

🗳️ Which nutrition goal are you most interested in for autoimmune hemolytic anemia?

Eating more nutrient-dense foods

Adding more anti-inflammatory foods

Getting more red blood cell-supporting nutrients

Staying better hydrated

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Following a healthy diet rich in nutrients, including vitamin B12, vitamin C, and vitamin B9 (folate), is an important aspect of immune support, cell health, and overall well-being when living with autoimmune hemolytic anemia. If immunity is at risk, you may want to consider implementing other practices like avoiding uncooked foods or foods that may expose you to bacteria.

To make meals more nutrient-dense, try:

To make it easier to add more nutrients to your meals, keep ready-to-serve vegetables, like greens, in your fridge or freezer, and add them to foods like eggs or pasta. Add some berries to yogurt or oatmeal. Make simple snack swaps such as vegetable crudite with a yogurt dip or nuts instead of chips.

Autoimmune hemolytic anemia is an autoimmune disease. An anti-inflammatory eating pattern, such as the Mediterranean or DASH diet, may support overall health, but there’s not enough evidence to show that it treats AIHA or stops the immune system from destroying red blood cells.

Recommended anti-inflammatory foods and nutrients include:

Adapting to an anti-inflammatory diet doesn’t have to be hard. Start with adding some of the anti-inflammatory foods above to your everyday meals and snacks, like using olive oil instead of butter or topping yogurt or salads with nuts and seeds. You can also start by reviewing the nutrient labels on any foods you regularly eat.

AIHA often causes anemia. For some people, a diet that includes foods and nutrients that support red blood cell production may be helpful because iron is part of the hemoglobin in red blood cells. It’s a good idea to check your iron levels on a regular basis and consult with your healthcare provider.

Iron-rich animal foods include meat, eggs, and seafood. Plant-based iron-rich foods include nuts, beans, spinach, and broccoli. To increase iron absorption from plant foods, pair them with foods containing vitamin C, like citrus fruits or bell peppers.

If you’re iron deficient, consider adding small portions of meat to balanced meals. For plant-based iron, pair a spinach salad with some orange or mandarin pieces. Or simply add a squeeze of lemon to your water with a meal that contains legumes.

Folate, or vitamin B9, is important for creating and maintaining red blood cells. Because hemolytic anemia causes red blood cells to break down faster than normal, the body has to make replacement cells more quickly. This can increase the body’s need for folate, which helps make new red blood cells.

To include folate-rich foods in your diet, add dark leafy greens like spinach and kale, chickpeas, peas, and broccoli to your meals.

To increase your folate intake, make your own hummus with chickpeas and enjoy it with some whole grain crackers or vegetable slices. Add dark leafy greens, like spinach or arugula, to your sandwiches. Make a healthy bowl with brown rice and broccoli, topped with tofu or egg.

Vitamin B12 is important for DNA production and the development of healthy red blood cells. A vitamin B12 deficiency can cause anemia and may occur along with AIHA, so your healthcare provider may check your B12 level if needed.

Vitamin B12 sources to add to your daily routine include meat, poultry, dairy products, eggs, and fish. Vitamin B12 is found in animal foods but can be added to foods, a process called fortification. If you follow a plant-based diet, you can get vitamin B12 from these sources:

If you eat animal foods, add an extra serving to a meal or snack, such as string cheese or a hard-boiled egg. If you’re plant-based, make sure your milk alternatives have added vitamin B12. Enjoy the savory taste of nutritional yeast as a topping on popcorn or eggs.

Vitamin D supports bone health, immune function, and other important processes in the body. Getting enough vitamin D is part of good overall nutrition, but there’s not enough evidence to show that increasing vitamin D can treat AIHA.

Vitamin D is found in a few food sources, including fatty fish like salmon, cheese, and egg yolks. As for plant-based options, some mushrooms may contain vitamin D, and it’s also found in certain fortified foods such as breakfast cereals and milk. Vitamin D can also be obtained by exposing your skin to sunlight.

For extra vitamin D, eat two servings of fatty fish per week or sprinkle a little bit of cheese on a salad. Try grilling a portobello mushroom burger or chopping it up and making a stir-fry. If you have access to sunlight, take yourself on a relaxing walk or take a meeting outside, but always wear sun protection to protect your skin.

Staying hydrated can help prevent dehydration, which can make fatigue feel worse. Although drinking more fluids does not treat fatigue caused by anemia, be sure to drink enough fluids to meet your usual needs unless your healthcare provider gives you different advice.

You can also increase your hydration by eating fruit and vegetables, like hydrating watermelon or cucumber. To maintain hydration, it’s also best to limit high-sugar drinks, like regular sodas, and keep caffeine in check.

The key is to drink water throughout the day. Keeping a water bottle nearby or having a drink of water with meals can help increase your hydration. If the taste of water isn’t your thing, try sparkling water and add a squeeze of lime or lemon.

Supplements can be helpful when they address an actual deficiency or if you have an increased nutritional need. Taking more than you need can sometimes cause side effects or interfere with other nutrients. This is why it’s very important to consult your doctor and dietitian before starting a supplement.

Some instances in which you may need supplements include taking vitamin B12 if you don’t eat animal foods. Vitamin D may be helpful if you don’t get regular access to the sun. If you experience chronic hemolysis, your doctor may recommend supplementing with folic acid to support the production of red blood cells.