Hematogen: benefits and harm to the body

Hematogen is one of the most popular dietary supplements. It serves to make up for the lack of iron in the body. The hematogen also improves the process of hematopoiesis. The delicacy is familiar to many people since childhood, has a pleasant sweet taste. However, this is not sweet, therefore, there are some restrictions regarding its intake.

What is hematogen and what is it made of

The history of hematogen begins in the 19th century. It was then that scientists for the first time proved that the composition of blood directly affects human health. Assumptions that blood is the life force of the body have been encountered before, but before that there was no evidence that the loss of blood and lower levels of iron can cause disturbances in many body functions and lead to weakness. After this discovery, scientists began to look for a remedy that could increase the hemoglobin content in the blood. Already in 1890, the first hematogen appeared, the basis of which was the blood of a bull. The effectiveness of the drug exceeded expectations, so it instantly became a popular drug. At the beginning of the XX century, he began to appear in Russia. This drug has become an indispensable medicine in hospitals during the Second World War. He was given to people with large blood losses.

At the end of the war there was a shortage of food, food was often monotonous and could not provide people with the necessary set of useful substances. After the jump in childhood anemia, the authorities decided to remake the hematogen for peacetime needs. As a result, the hematogen tile acquired the same sweet taste. It was enjoyed not only by children, but also by adults. He was often eaten with tea instead of sweets.

At the beginning of the 21st century, manufacturers decided to slightly change the composition of the product in order to increase its effectiveness. To this end, the hematogen was saturated with vitamins that strengthen the immune system and improve the digestibility of iron. The taste of the product also changed a little, it became softer and better.

Composition and calorie content

Initially, hematogen contained whole bovine blood, however, from the middle of the last century, the production technology was slightly changed and albumin was added. This is a protein that is extracted from purified blood of a bull. This component contains a lot of iron, which quickly compensates for the deficiency of this element in the body. Ready to add protein is in powder form. According to the quality requirements for hematogen it should contain the following products:

• 5% albumin;
• 40% sugar;
• 30–35% of condensed milk;
• 17–25% starch syrup;
• vanillin.

But now, Soviet GOSTs by manufacturers may not be respected; they often change the recipe at their discretion. Therefore, before buying this product, it is recommended to carefully read the composition. Pharmaceutical companies should produce normal hematogen, but there are bars that are produced by confectioneries without the addition of albumin. Instead, they add nuts, seeds, chocolate, etc. to the composition. Such a composition only increases the calorie content, which even without additives is not entirely low and averages 350 kcal per 100 g of product. Also, 100 g of bar contains 75 g of carbohydrates, 6 g of protein and 3 g of fat.

What is hematogen useful for?

General benefit

The benefits of this drug are undeniable.The hematogen saturates the body with the necessary elements, and it is often used as a prophylaxis of blood diseases. It eliminates iron deficiency in the body, and from the beginning of the XXI century, other vitamins that have a strengthening effect began to be added to its composition. With this tool, you can bring the level of hemoglobin in the blood to normal. The hematogen is able to improve immunity and the digestive system, it is also recommended for use by people after surgery, as it is able to restore the body's strength.

For women

As practice shows, women suffer from a lack of iron more often than men, which is associated with blood loss during menstruation. It also happens due to hormonal disruptions in the body. The use of hematogen in food will quickly restore the necessary level of iron. In addition, hematogen contains vitamin A, which helps strengthen nails and hair, and also slows down the aging process.

For men

For men, a bar is appreciated for its calorie content and high amino acid content. This allows you to quickly restore body strength after physical exertion. The hematogen increases stamina, charging the body with energy. Men do not always know how to cook themselves, sometimes they do not have enough time for a full meal, subsequently such a lifestyle can lead to iron deficiency. Therefore, it is worthwhile to include hematogen in the diet in order to improve the condition of the body.

During pregnancy

During this period, women often experience low levels of hemoglobin in the blood. This is due to the developing fetus, because it also needs blood cells, and the body does not have time to produce them in sufficient quantities. If you do nothing, anemia may develop. If the fetus does not receive enough red blood cells, this leads to various pathologies that are life-threatening, and can provoke premature birth. It seems that the hematogen is useful for pregnant women, but still it should not be used, it can do much harm. First of all, the danger lies in the high calorie content of the product, especially the bar with additives. The use of hematogen in large doses can lead to problems with excess weight. Albumin is also considered a strong allergen and can cause a negative reaction in both the mother and the fetus.

Also, do not forget that anemia develops for various reasons, and if you eliminate the symptoms of another hematogen disease, you can miss the opportunity to identify and cure it in a timely manner.

When breastfeeding

Doctors recommend abstaining from the use of hematogen for at least 30 days after birth, although at first glance this is strange. The composition of milk depends on the products that a woman eats, and the bar contains only useful substances. However, in some cases, the hematogen can cause nausea and even indigestion. Also, in the first months of a child’s life, the hematogen often provokes an allergic reaction. Therefore, do not use this delicacy in the first 2-3 months after childbirth.

For children

The vitamins of group A and iron contained in the hematogen are necessary for the developing organism of the child. In small quantities, the hematogen is able to improve protective functions, mental abilities, is useful for the brain, which allows you to better cope with the loads in educational institutions. It is better to give preference to special types of hematogen for children. Up to 6 years, it is not recommended to give the hematogen in any form.

Is it possible to eat hematogen while losing weight

Often, diets mean reducing the amount of food consumed. Because of this, less beneficial substances enter the body, and instead of the joy of losing weight, people begin to become depressed. The lack of useful elements affects the whole body - hair begins to fall out, there is constant drowsiness, fatigue, nails become brittle. Therefore, people include hematogen in the diet, thereby killing two birds with one stone - replenishing the supply of nutrients and saturating the body.

However, the hematogen cannot be called rich in vitamins. In addition to iron and albumin, it contains only vitamin A and C. In order to maintain healthy hair and nails, the body requires B vitamins and other minerals that are not found in hematogen. Therefore, do not get too carried away with this drug, since it is not a sweetness, but a dietary supplement. It can be introduced into the diet with a diet, but only as a sweet to treat yourself. It is not recommended to use it for more than 2 weeks.

Hematogen in medicine

Normal hematogen with albumin is sold in pharmacies, it is produced by pharmaceutical companies. On the shelves of some supermarkets you can also find hematogen, but outside the drugstore it is often found without albumin, which makes it an ordinary sweet, without medicinal properties. However, even a pharmacy hematogen is not a full-fledged drug - it is a dietary supplement. Therefore, there are a number of limitations associated with taking this drug.

With diabetes

Diabetics will have to abandon the use of any hematogen, including useful pharmacy chocolates. Even healthy people need to eat it carefully, since a high sugar content can trigger diabetes.

People with diabetes can fall into a coma because of the high sugar content in the bar. In addition, their blood viscosity may increase, and excessive consumption can cause the so-called "diabetic foot." The hematogen can aggravate the course of the disease, and in the long run cause obesity.

Important: hematogen glycemic index - 55 units.

With pancreatitis

It is impossible to answer unequivocally whether a hematogen is possible with pancreatitis. On the one hand, the number of calories in a bar is quite high. Most sweets contain fewer calories than hematogen. Therefore, with an exacerbation of the disease, it is impossible to use it in any case. The main danger of hematogen in pancreatitis is multivitamins, which allow a large amount of sugar and fast carbohydrates to pass into the body.

Also, the danger lies in the fact that the diseased pancreas is not capable of producing the required amounts of insulin to break down sugar. This can lead to diabetes. However, there are exceptions that relate to the chronic form of the disease. After the exacerbation, the doctors are allowed to dilute their diet a little, so you can include the hematogen in the menu, not only as a medicine, but also as a sweet snack. But you can eat it in very limited quantities, refusing to use other sweets.

With gastritis

With gastritis, the hematogen is not only allowed, but also useful. It will perfectly complement the treatment prescribed by the doctor. However, it should be remembered that during periods of exacerbation of the disease it is impossible to use it.

Gastritis is accompanied by an inflammatory process in the stomach, due to which the absorption of beneficial substances into the body worsens. Therefore, a hematogen rich in nutrients can be an excellent addition to therapy. But do not get too carried away with this sweetness, doctors recommend not to exceed the daily dose, which is a maximum of 50 g for adults.

With gout

Gout is a form of arthritis, but more painful. The disease occurs due to an increased level of uric acid in the blood, which leads to the formation of crystals around the joints. Uric acid is produced due to the breakdown of purine. This element is formed in the body, but is also present in food. Patients with gout are prescribed a diet. It can not completely cure a person, but it helps to reduce the number of painful attacks. Patients need to minimize the use of various sweets. In addition, the diet aims to reduce weight in order to reduce the load on the joints. Therefore, the use of hematogen can be dangerous.

For the liver

In severe liver diseases, when a strict diet is prescribed for patients, hematogen should be forgotten, since it will do more harm than good. Use the medicine carefully, since the fats that make up the bar can cause liver problems even in healthy people. If there are other liver problems, it is possible to use hematogen, but in small quantities and only with the permission of the attending physician. You should buy only clean bars, without additional impurities, as they contain fewer calories. It is also advisable to drink the bar with water.

With hemorrhoids

This insidious and unpleasant disease pretty much spoils the lives of people. With hemorrhoids, bleeding can occur in patients, and if they are not stopped in time, blood loss can be impressive. Together with blood, the body loses iron, and the level of hemoglobin decreases. Therefore, patients with hemorrhoids need a hematogen, but only at the moments when bleeding opens or shortly after it. You do not need to eat it daily, so as not to provoke other, more dangerous diseases, such as diabetes.

With cholecystitis

With this pathology, people are supposed to have a strict diet, and with an exacerbation, doctors even recommend going to hospital. At this time, patients are supposed to follow a strict diet, but as the aggravation passes, the allowable diet will expand slightly. In the first 2-3 days after an exacerbation, it is forbidden to use anything other than a warm liquid. Next, you can include crackers made of white bread, of course, without spices. However, this does not mean that at the end of the exacerbation, you can eat everything. Patients still need to follow a diet, and the hematogen cannot be called an approved drug. Of course, people with cholecystitis can have sweets, but there’s too much sugar in the hematogen bar. With cholecystitis, patients do not have iron deficiency, therefore it is better to refuse hematogen.

With anemia

Anemia is a serious disease in which there is a reduced level of hemoglobin and red blood cells. If you do not seek help in a timely manner, then the protective functions of the body will weaken, it will become too vulnerable to viruses and bacteria. Diseases like flu can cause serious complications to the lungs and heart. Basically, anemia is diagnosed in the spring. This is due to the fact that the human body is depleted in the winter due to a lack of vitamins and minerals. Therefore, the hematogen will be an excellent drug, because it was for the treatment of this problem that it was created in due time. A bar saturates the body with iron, increases the level of hemoglobin. However, not every bar is equally useful. For medicinal purposes, you can only use those that are sold in pharmacies, since there is no albumin in the stores.

Nevertheless, in spite of such a benefit of hematogen in case of anemia, consultation with the attending physician is still recommended at first. Self-treatment is not worth it. In addition, the bar does not contain many vitamins, so if their deficiency caused anemia, it is not enough just to raise the level of hemoglobin in the blood - after a while it will again decrease. The doctor will also prescribe a complex of vitamins.

In oncology

The hematogen bar does not have a negative effect on the body with cancer. Studies have also shown that he is not involved in the formation of neoplasms. However, it is advisable to consult your doctor before use, as this is all individual.

But in some cases, the hematogen may even be useful. Chemotherapy negatively affects the hematopoiesis system and suppresses human immunity. The use of hematogen can stimulate the hematopoietic system, improve blood composition and normalize immunity. It is sometimes found as an element of complex therapy to restore the body after surgery.

Harm and contraindications

The use of hematogen is undeniable in the treatment of certain diseases, however, it has several disadvantages and in some cases can seriously harm the body. As already mentioned, the hematogen is a dietary supplement.For this reason, it is impossible to use it as a treat, and exceeding the dosage can result in serious health consequences. A person may experience symptoms of poisoning - dizziness, nausea, vomiting, upset stomach. But even if it has not yet reached these symptoms, problems with the kidneys, liver, or heart may appear. The fact is that biochemical processes in the body are perfectly tuned, and any deviation in one direction or another can cause malfunctions. For example, excess iron promotes the appearance of free radicals. This is fraught with an increase in cholesterol and the appearance of plaques, which make the vessels fragile and can cause atherosclerosis. In addition, the blood becomes thicker, which can lead to the development of thrombophlebitis.

Separately, it is worth highlighting the calorie content of the product. It cannot be called too high or low, given that most sweets contain fewer calories. Even some cakes are less high in calories. But bars with various additives may even contain up to 500 kcal per 100 g of product. Therefore, hematogen should be used carefully. It will have to be excluded from the diet for diabetes, excess weight, varicose veins, allergies, metabolic disorders and problems with the gall bladder.

There are a few more rules to follow:

1. Do not eat hematogen for an hour before and after eating meat, fish or liver.
2. Do not eat bars while taking a complex of vitamins.
3. The use of hematogen is prohibited with a weakly salt diet.
4. Also, you can not use dietary supplements with alcohol.

How to choose and store

In order not to harm the body, it is important to choose the hematogen correctly. The most delicious are bars with raisins and other flavors. But doctors are sure that you only need to choose a pure product, in which there is nothing superfluous, since different flavors can interfere with the absorption of iron by the body. This also applies to calories, in bars with additives their number is much higher, which can lead to problems with excess weight. Sometimes people are prescribed a whole course of hematogen treatment, so even the extra 30-50 calories can play a trick.

When buying a bar you need to carefully read the composition, paying attention to the content in the sweetness of albumin. You should refrain from buying a bar if it contains less than 2.5% of this protein. Otherwise, the therapeutic effect can be forgotten. If hematogen contains 5% albumin, it covers about half of the daily requirement for iron.

Store the product in the original packaging intact, at a temperature not exceeding 25 degrees, preferably away from children. Shelf life is 1 year from the date of issue. Store open bars in a tightly tied plastic bag.

How to eat hematogen

The hematogen should be eaten only for diseases with which it copes. If you need the usual sweetness for tea, then it is better to buy cookies or a cake, and use the hematogen only for its intended purpose. Although in the winter you can eat a hematogen with an increased amount of vitamins and for prevention. There is even an iodized bar that will be useful to people suffering from thyroid problems.

The rules for using hematogen are simple. It should be eaten several hours before a meal. You can’t drink a bar with dairy products, it can only be consumed with water. When taking antibiotics, the interval between the tablets and the bar should be at least 2 hours. If you take foods rich in vitamin C with the hematogen, then it will be absorbed better.

How much can you eat per day

The daily intake of hematogen depends on the age and state of human health. Uncontrolled intake can cause various diseases in healthy people.As a result of recent studies, the daily intake of hematogen was established. For children aged 6 to 12 years, it is 20 g per day, up to 18 years old - 30 g per day, and for adults up to 50 g. For people with diseases, only the doctor can say the daily rate, taking into account the patient's condition and his individual characteristics. In some cases, doctors may prescribe a large dose to improve the healing effect.

Can I eat on an empty stomach

You can use the hematogen on an empty stomach, but then you will have to refuse other food, since it is not recommended to mix it with food. Moreover, it makes no sense. There is no need to take a hematogen in the morning, as this is not a treat, but a dietary supplement.

Is it possible to eat a hematogen Orthodox

Whether or not hematogen can be eaten depends on its type. Pharmacy bars contain albumin, which is extracted from bovine blood, so the Orthodox should refrain from using this product. There are prohibitions on the use of animal blood, both in the Old Testament and in the New. Ordinary bars without adding blood can be consumed, but this is pointless, since the main hematogen token is in this useful protein. In its absence, the hematogen does not benefit the body and cannot help with anemia and restore blood composition.

Is it possible for Muslims to eat hematogen?

Islam also prohibits the use of blood; it is found more than once. In Muslims, blood is considered a dirty product, and you can not use it in any form. Although hematogen is just a protein, it is synthesized from the blood of a bull.

Is it possible to give hematogen to animals

Hematogen could be a useful product for animals, if not for the high sugar content. Sugar and salt are very harmful for pets, so you should refrain from such treats. There are special types of hematogen for animals, which mainly consist of meat, but molasses and vanillin can also be found in their composition. Sugar is added by many feed manufacturers, but in small quantities. And in hematogen, even special, its concentration is too high. If the animal lacks vitamins, then it is better to buy a special complex. And with a lack of iron, medications or products with a high content of this element should be given.

Interesting facts about the hematogen

1. The name of the drug, translated from Greek, means "giving birth to blood." It speaks for itself. It is prepared from the dry blood of cattle. To get rid of parasites, it is pre-treated.
2. The first hematogen was released in 1890 in Switzerland. It was not a bar familiar to many people, it was liquid and was a mixture of bull blood. After the revolution in Tsarist Russia, hematogen was also used in domestic medicine during military conflicts to provide medical assistance to the wounded. In addition, it was included in the diet of existing units.
3. A sweet bar was created to make the treatment process enjoyable. This is especially important for children, because they value the taste more than good.
4. The basis of modern hematogen is albumin, a protein extracted from bovine blood. Albumin is a fairly strong allergen, therefore, with regular use in people, allergic reactions are often observed.
5. Doctors and scientists still can not agree on whether modern hematogen is useful. Some are sure that he retained all the useful properties of his predecessors, others - that the current product turns out to be very high-calorie and sweet and can sooner harm than help.
6. At the beginning of the 20th century, hematogen ceased to be produced in almost all countries. However, in Russia it has taken root and is still in use.
7. You can see a warning on the hematogen packages that more than 1 bar per day is not allowed.If the recommended dose is exceeded, symptoms of poisoning can be observed, and if there are bars too often, then you can get diabetes.

Hematogen photo