Highlights
- Hemoglobin is an iron rich protein that's present in the red blood cells
- It is important to maintain normal levels of haemoglobin in your blood
- There is a chance that you may be anaemic
How to increase hemoglobin: Hemoglobin is an iron rich protein that's present in the red blood cells and is responsible for carrying oxygen throughout the body. According to health experts, it is important to maintain normal levels of haemoglobin in your blood for your body to function properly, which is 14 to 18 g/dl for adult men and 12 to 16 g/dl for adult women. When the blood platelets or hemoglobin levels tend to decrease, it can cause weakness, poor appetite, headaches, fatigue, shortness of breath, dizziness and rapid heartbeat. If the level of haemoglobin falls significantly, there is a chance that you may be anaemic. In fact, it is said that most girls in India are iron deficient and are anaemic. In order to ensure that your blood platelets are in place, you must load up on iron rich foods and other foods that have essential nutrients like folic acid, vitamin C and others. We suggest a list of foods that will help boost your hemoglobin levels.
Foods that help increase hemoglobin levels:
1. Increase folic acid intake
Folic acid, a B-complex vitamin, is required to make red blood cells and a folic acid deficiency automatically leads to low levels of hemoglobin. Some of the good sources of folic acid are bananas, broccoli, chicken liver, wheat germ, dried beans, leafy vegetables and sprouts. Beetroot, in fact, is one of the highest sources of folic acid.
2. Drink nettle tea
Nettle is a herb that is a great source of vitamins B and C along with iron, all of which play a key role in raising hemoglobin levels. Add about two teaspoons of dried nettle leaves to a cup of hot water and allow it to steep for about 10 minutes. Strain and add a dash of honey. Drink this twice daily.
3. Load up on vitamin C
It is important to take a combination of iron and vitamin C as the latter is a carrier rich molecule that could be used for better absorption of iron. Eat vitamin C rich foods like lemon, oranges, papaya, strawberries, broccoli, grapefruit, tomatoes and bell peppers.
how to increase hemoglobin naturally: It is important to take a combination of iron and vitamin C
4. Eat a lot of iron rich foods
Iron deficiency is the most common cause of low hemoglobin levels. The top iron rich foods include green leafy vegetables like spinach, beetroot, tofu, asparagus, chicken liver, pumpkin seeds, dates, raisins, jaggery and amla.
5. Do not forget to include more apples
An apple helps maintain a normal level of hemoglobin, as it is rich in iron plus other healthy nutrients that are required for healthy hemoglobin count. You can either eat one apple a day, or drink juice made with half apple and half beetroot juice twice a day.
6. Avoid iron blockers
Try not consuming coffee, tea, cola, wine or beer, all of which are generally considered iron blockers, especially if you already have low hemoglobin levels.
Load up on these foods and avoid any iron blockers that cause harm. Consult a doctor in case the hemoglobin levels fall significantly.