TCM Perspective On Megaloblastic Anemia
In traditional Chinese medicine, megaloblastic anemia belongs to the category of xu lao, a kind of consumptive disease. This means the weakness of spleen and kidneys, insufficiency of blood essence. The formation of blood, its source came from the fluid metabolism, formation of blood also depends on blood essence, essence can form blood, therefore, the formation of blood is closely related to the kidney. The kidneys store the essence, regulate bones and growth of marrow which is connected with the brain system and serve as the root (basis) of our body system; if the kidneys are weak, there will be insufficiency of blood essence and marrow, thus lack of formation of blood. Therefore, the main aim of treatment is to strengthen the kidneys, then increases marrow and care for the spleen as well.

Western Point of View
In megaloblastic anemia, the body is unable to produce sufficient red blood cells that are healthy due to a deficiency of folate or cobalamin (vitamin B12) deficiency. The red blood cells in the megaloblastic anemia patient's blood are larger than normal, and hence the name, megaloblastic anemia. The life span of these dysfunctional red cells is less than 120 days, which is how long normal red blood cells circulate in the body. Folate or folic acid is required for the formation of red blood cells and their growth. Since the body does not store it in large quantities, one needs to eat a diet rich in folate to meet the demand for the production of red blood cells.

Without enough healthy red blood cells the body is unable to provide oxygenated blood to all the tissues. With time, symptoms of anemia like fatigue and pale skin begin to manifest slowly. Pernicious anemia, a type of autoimmune condition characterized by malabsorption of vitamin B12 is also a type of megaloblastic anemia. Early detection and treatment can alleviate the symptoms, and cobalamin and folate therapy may be started to arrest the progress of cobalamin-related neurological disorders.