Evidence supporting the use of: Blood
For the health condition: Pernicious Anemia
Synopsis
Source of validity: Scientific
Rating (out of 5): 4
Pernicious anemia is a condition caused by vitamin B12 deficiency, most often due to impaired absorption resulting from a lack of intrinsic factor in the stomach. Historically, before the isolation and synthesis of vitamin B12, dietary interventions were the primary therapy. The use of "blood" (specifically, the ingestion of raw or lightly cooked animal liver and sometimes blood-containing foods) was introduced in the 1920s after George Whipple discovered that feeding dogs with anemia a diet rich in liver led to the recovery of red blood cells. This finding led to the Nobel Prize-winning development of liver therapy for pernicious anemia by Minot and Murphy. Liver, and to a lesser extent animal blood, is rich in vitamin B12, which is the essential nutrient lacking in pernicious anemia. While whole blood transfusions are not a standard therapy for pernicious anemia, the consumption of animal blood or blood-rich tissues can, in theory, provide vitamin B12 and thus support hematological recovery. However, contemporary therapy uses purified or synthetic vitamin B12, which is far more effective and safer. The scientific validation of blood’s efficacy is primarily historical, predating modern B12 therapy, but the principle is solid: blood and blood-rich organs contain the deficient nutrient. Thus, while not standard of care today, there is strong scientific basis for the historical use of blood in treating pernicious anemia.
Other ingredients used for Pernicious Anemia
bovine kidneybovine liver
bovine spleen
vitamin B12
Animal Tissue
Beef
Beef liver