Foods That Improve Your Haemoglobin Count Naturally

Table of Content

• What is Haemoglobin?

• Why Do You Need a Good Haemoglobin Count?

• Causes of Low Haemoglobin Count

• Symptoms of Low Haemoglobin Count

• Foods to Increase Haemoglobin

• Haemoglobin During Pregnancy

• Take-Home Points

• FAQ on Foods That Improve Haemoglobin Count Naturally

Introduction

Blood is the most important fluid in your body that carries out osmotic, protective, regulate, detoxification and thermoregulatory functions in the body. Out of all these, the most important is the transportive function which involves carrying oxygen and carbon dioxide to and fro in your body. For helping blood in this transportive function, the most important component is the protein called haemoglobin. But what happens when you have low haemoglobin? What can you eat to increase haemoglobin levels? You will find all your answers from our article below. 

What is Haemoglobin?

Haemoglobin is a protein in your red blood cells that acts as a two-way respiratory carrier for your body. It not only carries oxygen from your lungs to the other systems of the body and also carries carbon dioxide from your system to your lungs and nostrils. Thus it cleanses your system with oxygen-rich and healthy blood. 

Why Do You Need a Good Haemoglobin Count?

Haemoglobin levels are very important in your blood as they carry oxygen and enrich your body systems. Low haemoglobin causes various undesirable health consequences like fatigue and weakness. For having a healthy functioning body system, you need optimum levels of haemoglobin according to your age and gender. Below is the chart that tells you the optimum levels of haemoglobin according to the various age groups, 

Causes of Low Haemoglobin Count

Anaemia or low haemoglobin count can be caused by various factors like nutrition, genetics and abnormal production of red blood cells. 

1. Nutritional Anaemias

This type of anaemia is due to the deficiency of iron or vitamins like B 9 or B 12. They are three types,

• Pernicious anaemia (an autoimmune condition that prevents the body from absorbing vitamin B12)

• Iron deficiency anaemia (the body has no iron reserves to make haemoglobin)

• Megaloblastic anaemia (the body has no vitamin B 12 or vitamin B 9 to make haemoglobin)

2. Inherited Anaemias

These anaemias are inherited from parents and they affect the production of red blood cells. There are three types of inherited anaemias, 

• Sickle cell anaemia (the red blood cells turn into sickle cells from round cells and reduce the blood flow rate) 

• Fanconi anaemia (a rare blood disorder that affects haemoglobin production)

• Diamond-blackfan anaemia (bone marrow can't produce enough haemoglobin) 

3. Abnormal Production Anaemias

Here the red blood cells are produced abnormally, either too less or too high. 

• Hemolytic anaemia (blood cells die faster than usual)

• Aplastic anaemia (stem cells in the bone marrow don't make enough red blood cells)

• Autoimmune hemolytic anaemia (the immune system attacks your red blood cells)

• Sideroblastic anaemia (production of red blood cells is affected even though there is enough iron)

• Macrocytic anaemia (bone marrow makes unusually large red blood cells)

• Microcytic anaemia (red blood cells are smaller than usual)

• Normocytic anaemia (fewer red blood cells with very less haemoglobin content)

Symptoms of Low Haemoglobin Count

Anaemia or low haemoglobin count wouldn’t show any symptoms during the early stages but increases as the count comes severely down. Here are some of the common symptoms,

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Pale skin and gum

• Irregular heartbeats

• Shortness of breath

• Dizziness or lightheadedness

• Chest pain

• Cold hands and feet

• Headaches

Foods to Increase Haemoglobin

Diet is the pivot around which your health and well-being revolve. Therefore, having food increases your haemoglobin count. Foods that can boost your haemoglobin count are,

1. Iron Rich Foods 

Iron is the most essential component for the production of haemoglobin. These are some of the iron-rich foods you should include in your diet, 

• Shellfish

• Spinach

• Liver 

• Legumes 

• Red meat

• Pumpkin seeds 

• Quinoa 

• Turkey

• Broccoli

• Tofu

• Fish

2. Folate Rich Foods 

Like iron, folates are very important for the production of red blood cells. Here are some of the foods that are rich in folates, 

• Legumes

• Asparagus 

• Eggs

• Leafy greens

• Beets

• Citrus fruits

• Brussels sprouts

• Broccoli

• Nuts and seeds

• Beef liver

• Papaya

• Wheat germ

• Bananas

• Avocado

3. Vitamin C Rich Foods 

Vitamin C increases the production of haemoglobin and helps in increasing blood flow. Here are the foods that can increase the haemoglobin count, 

• Cantaloupe

• Oranges

• Lemon

• Broccoli

• Red cabbage 

• Kiwi

• Bell peppers

• Strawberries

• Guava

• Amla

• Tomatoes

4. Iron Absorption Increasing Foods 

Iron absorption is very much important in increasing the haemoglobin count. Here are some of the foods that can help you in increasing iron absorption,

• Citrus fruits

• Bell peppers

• Dark green leafy vegetables

• Bell peppers

• Melons 

• Strawberries 

• Carrots

• Sweet potatoes

• Spinach

• Kale

• Squash 

• Red peppers

• Cantaloupe

• Apricots

• Oranges 

• Peaches

• Meat 

• Fish 

• Poultry

5. Fruits 

Fruits are rich in vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and various other nutrients. Adding that to your diet can help you in increasing your haemoglobin count. 

• Apricots 

• Apples 

• Grapes 

• Bananas 

• Pomegranates

• Watermelons

6. Vegetables

Like fruits, vegetables are also a great addition to your diet plate. Some of the best ones are, 

• Spinach 

• Mustard greens

• Celery 

• Broccoli

7. Iron Supplements 

You can add iron supplements after consulting with your doctor. From the best professionals in our team, we have some recommendations. 

• Thorne Iron Bisglycinate

• Nature Made Iron 65mg Tablets

• Pure Encapsulations OptiFerin-C

• Garden of Life Vitamin Code Raw Iron

• Persona Iron with Vitamin C

• Ritual Women’s Essential Multivitamin 18+

• NOW Iron

• MegaFood Blood Builder

• Klaire Labs Chewable Iron Chelate

• Pure Encapsulations Iron Liquid

• Mary Ruth’s Liquid Iron

• Thorne Basic Prenatal

• Needed Prenatal Iron

Foods to Avoid While Increasing Haemoglobin 

Having foods that are rich in calcium, phytates, oxalic acid and tannins would block iron absorption and reduce haemoglobin production. So, it's better to avoid foods rich in these if you have a low haemoglobin count. 

1. Calcium Rich Foods 

Several studies have shown that calcium and iron sources can't be taken together as calcium blocks out the absorption of iron. Here are some of the foods that are rich in calcium and have to be taken in lower doses if you have haemoglobin deficiency,

• Poppy seeds 

• Chia seeds

• Sesame seeds 

• Cheese

• Yoghurt 

• Sardines 

• Canned Salmon

• Beans 

• Lentils

• Almonds 

• Whey Protein 

• Leaf greens

• Amaranth 

• Tofu 

• Figs 

• Milk 

2. Phytic Acid Rich Foods 

Phytic acids or phytates block the absorption of minerals like iron, manganese, calcium and zinc by forming chelates. Some of the physic acid rich foods are, 

• Sesame seeds 

• Linseeds 

• Sunflower seeds 

• Nuts 

• Brown rice 

• Amaranth 

• Peanuts 

• Oats flakes 

• Chickpeas 

3. Oxalic Acid Rich Foods 

Though oxalic acids are not as harmful as calcium and phytates in reducing iron absorption, they also decrease the body's capacity in metabolising iron. Some of the oxalic acid-rich foods are, 

• Tofu 

• Almonds 

• Potatoes

• Beets

• Dates 

• Raspberry 

• Navy beans 

4. Tannins-Rich Foods 

Tannins bind with iron thereby reducing the body's capacity to produce haemoglobin. Some of the tannin-rich foods are, 

• Tea 

• Coffee

• Chocolates 

• Wine

Haemoglobin During Pregnancy

Iron deficiency is most common among pregnant women as the iron most important constituent for the growing fetus. Having iron deficiencies results in anaemia, which in turn results in preterm delivery, prematurity and weak babies. WHO (World Health Organisation) estimates that at least 56% of pregnant women in developing countries are anaemic. 

Maintaining Iron Levels In Pregnancy

Having iron-rich foods is the only way to counter the effects of anaemia. 

• Lean beef

• Chicken

• Salmon

• Beans 

• Lentils

• Spinach

• Kale

• Broccoli

Haemoglobin During Menstrual Cycles

Though generally menstruation has no effects on the iron content of the body, heavy periods can cause high amounts of blood loss, which causes anaemia. Heavy periods can occur due to ovulation problems, endometriosis, intrauterine device, adenomyosis, polyps and uterine fibroids. Consult your doctor in case of heavy periods so that you wouldn't become anaemic from prolonged menstrual cycles. 

Take-Home Points

• Haemoglobin is a blood protein that carries oxygen from the lungs to various other parts of the body. 

• Eating foods that are rich in iron, folates and vitamin C ensures high haemoglobin levels. 

• It's better to avoid foods rich in calcium, phytates, oxalic acids and tannins as they reduce iron absorption.