Is your hemoglobin low?
Did your doctor suggest you increase your hemoglobin?
But do you have any idea regarding how to improve hemoglobin in your blood? If not this blog will provide you with a list of all the foods that are necessary to increase hemoglobin in blood.
Hemoglobin and its necessity:
Firstly, hemoglobin is the iron-rich protein that's found in your red blood cells and it is essential for you to carry oxygen throughout the body.
But when you have low levels of hemoglobin that can be associated with concerns such as anemia (lack of oxygen in the body) or any type of cancer, liver problems, and urinary tract infections. These levels decline when your red blood cells aren't functioning well. You can find the healthy hemoglobin range presented in the below table.
Hemoglobin Range:
Here is the tabular format showcasing the optimal levels of hemoglobin for different age groups:
Age |
Haemoglobin(g/dL) |
| Newborns | 17-12 |
| Children | 11-13 |
| Adult Men | 14-17.5 |
| Adult Women | 12.3-15.3 |
How to increase hemoglobin:
While there are several ways to increase hemoglobin in your body, that too with simple steps. Here is how:
Iron-rich food:
As discussed earlier hemoglobin is an iron-rich protein so you can increase the levels by having iron-rich food in your diet. When these iron levels are declined in your body you may experience a reduced number of red blood cells thereby resulting in oxygen scarcity in the body. So you can have these iron-containing foods to level up hemoglobin in your blood.
It is recommended for men to have 8 mg/day and women can have 19 mg of iron per day.
Here are the foods you can incorporate into your diet: beans, eggs, soy products, organ meat, kale, broccoli, cabbage, nuts, seeds, dates, figs, and tofu.
Folate:
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The next food you can have is folate which is a type of B vitamin that plays a crucial role in hemoglobin production. Folate is the thing that produces a compound called heme that helps to carry oxygen in the body. When you have low amounts of folate in your body, red blood cells won't be able to mature and that can lead to folate deficiency anemia. Now coming to the sources of folate you can improve your folate levels by having spinach, eggs, whole grains, peanuts, sunflower seeds, and kidney beans. |
Vitamin C:
Vitamin C can help you to improve the absorption of iron by acting as a transporter for atoms. Also, vitamin A along with beta carotene will help you with better absorption of iron.
Talking about the sources of vitamin C you can get it through citrus fruits such as oranges, lemons, kiwis, strawberries, papaya, grapes, tomatoes, black currants, Brussels sprouts, and bell peppers.
Apple and pomegranate:
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The next thing easy to have are fresh fruits such as apples and pomegranates. Apples are enriched with iron and other essential nutrients that support healthy hemoglobin levels. Next, pomegranate has iron, calcium, fiber, and protein that support you with hemoglobin and healthy blood flow. |
Brown rice:
Along with improving hemoglobin, brown rice is responsible for several functions in your body such as lowering cholesterol, regulating blood sugar levels, etc. Also, brown rice is essential for iron absorption in the body. Every 100 grams of brown rice will provide you with 0.52 mg of iron.
Dark chocolate:
This might be great news for all the chocolate lovers out there because dark chocolate that has more than 80% cacao is reported to improve hemoglobin in your blood. Along with all essential nutrients dark chocolate is rich in iron. When you have one medium-sized bar of dark chocolate it'll provide you with 6.9% of the daily recommended amount of iron intake.
Beetroot:
A lot of us might have heard that having beetroot in our diet can improve the blood count, but have you ever tried that? If not it's time for you to include beetroot in your diet due to its rich content of potassium, fiber along iron which will boost the hemoglobin in your blood.
You can also explore more healthy foods for your diet.
The bottom line:
So if you are someone experiencing low hemoglobin count it's time for you to include the foods that are mentioned above. These foods can level up the hemoglobin and provide you with optimal health. Along with the foods mentioned above you can also have foods such as lentils, pumpkin seeds, and watermelon which can help you with the hemoglobin count. Do make informed choices by consulting with a doctor if you have any existing health concerns.