Low haemoglobin? Add these foods to your daily diet to boost blood count
Iron-rich greens, pulses, vitamin C fruits and jaggery-chana can help raise haemoglobin levels naturally, doctors and nutrition experts suggest.
The body needs blood to function properly, and haemoglobin plays the most important role in this. It is an iron-containing protein found in red blood cells, which gives blood its red colour. Haemoglobin's job is to carry oxygen from the lungs to every part and every cell of the body, and then collect carbon dioxide from there and bring it back to the lungs, from where it is expelled through breathing.
When the body has a haemoglobin deficiency, several symptoms start to appear, such as fatigue, weakness, dizziness, difficulty breathing and pale skin. If this deficiency is not corrected in time, it can lead to serious illnesses later on. In such cases, including certain foods in the daily diet can help make up for this deficiency.
To make haemoglobin, the body needs the right amount of iron along with folate, vitamin B12 and protein, so it is important to include different kinds of foods in the daily diet. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach, fenugreek leaves, drumstick leaves and amaranth can be eaten daily, as they contain a high amount of iron. Besides this, foods such as lentils, chickpeas, kidney beans, masoor dal and soybean are also beneficial when eaten periodically.
Lemon, amla, guava, orange and other foods rich in vitamin C should be included in the diet. Along with this, drinking amla juice every morning after waking up has been advised. Eating carrot and beetroot once or twice a week helps in the growth of red blood cells. Eating a handful of roasted chana and jaggery at breakfast helps quickly make up for blood deficiency and improves health. Besides this, pulses and peanuts are also said to be beneficial for haemoglobin deficiency.
Symptoms that appear when haemoglobin is low should not be ignored, and it is important to make dietary changes along with timely treatment. Relying only on diet without getting a blood test done can be dangerous for the body, so proper treatment should be taken only after consulting a doctor. When blood deficiency is felt, dietary changes, physical activity and drinking plenty of water have also been described as necessary.
