Top 10 foods to increase haemoglobin | Zyla health

A few months ago, one of my patients came to me complaining of getting tired and short of breath easily for a few weeks. He looked pale and dull with cold hands even in summers. I suspected that his haemoglobin level was low and asked him to consult a doctor.

His doctor suspected the same and advised him a few blood tests. Our doubts were turned into reality when the results came and his haemoglobin level was 8 g/dL. The doctor advised supplement but he was irregular with it.

I immediately advised him to include all the iron and vitamin C rich foods to increase haemoglobin. He was consistent with the diet and within 3 months, his haemoglobin level increased to 11 g/dL.

Having a normal level of haemoglobin is important for the body to function properly. In this blog, we’ll discuss about haemoglobin, it’s different ranges, causes and symptoms of high and low haemoglobin levels and lastly, the foods which increase haemoglobin levels in the blood…

What is haemoglobin?

“Haem” stands for iron and “globin” stands for protein. Haemoglobin (Hb) is an iron-containing protein present inside red blood cells (RBCs) which carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and returns carbon dioxide from body tissues to the lungs.

RBCs are red due to haemoglobin.

Haemoglobin provides the red colour to the RBCs. It develops in the cells present in the bone marrow that are later converted to RBCs.

The haemoglobin level can be normal, high or low due to several factors. Let’s first look at the haemoglobin normal range and then the reasons behind low and high levels.

What are the haemoglobin level ranges?

Haemoglobin level is a part of a Complete Blood Count (CBC) which is a routine blood test. The blood is typically taken from the vein in the arms.

Here are the normal ranges:

Table 1: The normal ranges (the values might be slightly different between laboratories)

If your haemoglobin level is less than the above range then it is considered as low and if your haemoglobin level is more than the above range, then it is considered as high.

If you want to improve your haemoglobin levels, then download the Zyla app or visit our website- zyla.in for customised care, guidance and motivation on an improved lifestyle. Now let’s study what these high and low levels mean…

What do low haemoglobin levels mean?

A lower number of RBCs is termed anaemia and that is reflected by low haemoglobin levels. In short, low haemoglobin levels or low RBCs can be termed anaemia.

There are different types of anaemia. Some of them can be mild and others can be severe. If you develop anaemia, then you’ll be medically referred anaemic.

You must be wondering what are the causes of anaemia and what signs can you look for… right? Here is what you need to know…

Causes of anaemia

1. Insufficient intake of nutrients like iron, folic acid, vitamin B12 etc
2. Abnormality in haemoglobin’s structure like sickle cell anaemia and thalassemia
3. Blood loss in surgery, injury, ulcer, cancer etc
4. Kidney diseases
5. Bone marrow problems
6. Certain medications

Symptoms of anaemia

1. Tiredness
2. Breathing issues
3. Headache
4. Dizziness
5. Pale skin
6. Feeling cold or cold extremities (hands and legs)

To your diet, adding iron, folic acid and vitamin C rich foods to increase haemoglobin and taking supplements/ medicines as prescribed by your doctor is the treatment for anaemia.

Headache and dizziness are symptoms of anaemia.

Look out for the above symptoms and causes. If any one or more are present, then consult your doctor for further analysis. Do not take them lightly.

Moving on, now that you’re aware of what the low haemoglobin levels mean, let’s discuss what the high haemoglobin levels mean….

What do high haemoglobin levels mean?

A higher number of RBCs is termed polycythemia and that is reflected by high haemoglobin levels. In short, high haemoglobin levels or high RBCs can be termed polycythemia.

It is quite a rare condition in which the extra RBCs cause the blood to thicken, reducing it’s flow and resulting in the formation of blood clots.

Here are the causes and symptoms of polycythemia to look out for:

Causes of polycythemia

1. Smoking or carbon monoxide exposure
2. Living at a high altitude
3. Certain drugs/ medication
4. Lung diseases like COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) or emphysema or pulmonary fibrosis
5. Heart disease like Congenital Heart Disease or heart failure
6. Dehydration
7. Bone marrow produces too many RBCs (polycythemia vera)
8. Kidney or liver cancer
9. Kidney tumours
10. Low blood oxygen levels (hypoxia)

Symptoms of polycythemia

1. Itchy skin
2. High uric acid
3. Nosebleeds or easy bruising
4. Blurred vision
5. High blood pressure
6. Stomach discomfort
7. Confusion or dizziness
8. Headache
9. Tiredness

It can be treated with medicines or a procedure called phlebotomy. It is a surgical process in which a health professional punctures a hole in your vein by inserting a needle and then drains the blood into a container. This has to be done in repeated sessions until haemoglobin is at a normal level.

By now, you are quite aware of what is haemoglobin, it’s normal range and everything about high and low haemoglobin levels. If you require any guidance over it’s management, then you can download the Zyla app or visit our website- zyla.in anytime.

Let’s move on and talk about the main deal i.e. what all foods to include in your diet which can increase your haemoglobin levels…

Foods to increase haemoglobin levels

To increase your haemoglobin levels you must include iron and folic acid rich food products in your diet because as you learned before, haemoglobin is an iron-containing protein thus, adequate amount of iron is important.

Here are some examples of iron and folic acid-rich foods:

1. Nuts and seeds like raisins (kishmish), dates (khajoor), garden cress seeds (halim ke beej), flax seeds (alsi ke beej), figs (anjeer), pumpkin seeds (kaddu ke beej), peanuts (moongphali), fenugreek seeds (methi ke beej), cashews (kaju)
2. Fruits like pomegranate, watermelon, papaya, banana, guava, watermelon etc
3. Vegetables like green leafy vegetables, broccoli, beans, beetroot, cabbage etc
4. Pulses like green gram (moong dal), black gram (chana dal), kidney beans (rajma), soybean and it’s products etc
5. Poultry
6. Fish, chicken, lean meat

Secondly, vitamin C increases the absorption of iron so you must add vitamin C rich foods whenever you’re having an iron-rich diet. Here are some examples of vitamin C rich foods:

7. Citrus fruits like lemon, orange, mousami, amla etc

8. Other fruits like strawberries, kiwi, apple, watermelon etc

9. Vegetables like green leafy vegetables, tomato, carrot, capsicum etc

10. Sprouted pulses

Green leafy vegetables are rich in iron, folic acid and vitamin C.

Lastly, there are a few food products which hinder the absorption of iron and so they must not be paired with an iron-containing food. Here are the examples:

1. Calcium-rich foods like dairy products, sesame seeds, fortified cereals etc
2. Caffeine-containing foods like tea or coffee

So, if you’re thinking that delicious and mouth-watering palak paneer will increase your haemoglobin, then you are wrong. Taste is important but more than that, adequate nutrient intake is important.

Include iron and vitamin C rich foods to increase haemoglobin levels. Avoid taking them with calcium-rich foods and caffeine. If high, then limit the intake of these foods.

Make sure to lookout for the symptoms and consult a doctor accordingly for early diagnosis and treatment so that you don’t have to deal with the complications.

If you’re looking for a team of experts i.e doctor and nutritionist for manage your haemoglobin levels, then zyla can help you. Zyla has your desired team to provide you with personalized care and guidance.

Along with this, you will be assigned a personal care manager who will be there for you 24*7 so that it’s easy for you to communicate with Zyla. So, what are you waiting for? Download the Zyla app or visit our website- zyla.in now!

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References

Hemoglobin: Structure, Function and Allostery

Polycythaemia