Before raising the issue of drug treatment or the prevention of anemia, doctors almost always suggest that the patient review the list of daily foods used. How to increase hemoglobin in the blood until the problem takes on a catastrophic scale? Is it possible, having correctly developed the menu, with the help of one diet to eliminate the threat of the diagnosis of anemia?
The norm of iron in the body
The main task of red blood cells (red blood cells), circulating through the vessels in the blood, is the delivery of oxygen to each cell of the body and vice versa - the removal of residual product in the form of carbon dioxide from the tissues. The quantitative level of blood cells is measured by hemoglobin in grams per liter (g / l) or per deciliter (g / dl).
Hemoglobin deficiency is well defined by the appearance of a person:
- general lethargy and low fatigue threshold;
- pallor, dull skin;
- shortness of breath while running;
- poor appetite;
- brittle nails and profuse hair loss.
These symptoms will indicate a lack of one of the most important substances in the composition of hemoglobin - iron. It is the loss of this important component that leads to the diagnosis of “iron deficiency state”, that is, anemia. This factor can be determined after passing a clinical blood test, where the parameters of the iron content will be indicated in micromoles per liter (µmol / l).
For women and men, the iron levels in the blood vary greatly:
- boys over 14 years old and men - from 11.64 to 30.43 micromol / l;
- girls over 14 years old and women - from 8.95 to 30.43 μmol / l
In addition, the data for children of different ages will also not be the same:
- infants - from 7.16 to 17.9 μmol / l;
- children under 14 years of age - from 8.95 to 21.48 micromol / l.
To maintain an appropriate level of iron in the body, it is necessary that its intake with food or drugs be at least: 15-20 mg in women, 10-15 mg in men and from 30 mg in women during lactation. It should be noted, incidentally, that products that increase hemoglobin in the blood of women are no different from those that are recommended to a man or child.
The rate of hemoglobin in the body
In the same way, hemoglobin concentration data will also change:
- boys over 14 years old and men from 13.5 to 18 g / dl;
- girls over 14 years old and women from 12 to 18 g / dl;
- infants up to 6 months - 22.5 g / dl;
- children from 6 months - 9.5 g / dl.
At reduced rates, as a rule, a drug is prescribed in the form of a syrup or tablets, which, in a daily dosage, has the desired concentration of iron by default. However, with uncritically low data, especially regarding children and the elderly, the doctor will recommend consuming more foods - vegetables and fruits - that increase hemoglobin in the blood. For proper adjustment of the daily table, you need to understand what nutritional value these or other food elements have. Only knowing exactly which products increase hemoglobin in the blood, and which are completely useless for these purposes, you can do without medication.
Vitamins for raising hemoglobin
In the process of hematopoiesis, besides iron, great importance is given to vitamins of groups B and C, which are found in many products that increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood and positively affect the body as a whole.
Vitamin B9 is synthesized in the intestine by processing as a result of tissue metabolism of various types of legumes and citrus fruits, products of the nightshade family and all types of fresh herbs.
Products that quickly increase hemoglobin in the blood with vitamin B9:
- pomegranates, apricots, bananas, melons;
- blackcurrant, watermelon;
- cabbage, beets, carrots;
- oatmeal, millet, buckwheat;
- beef liver, curd products, egg yolk.
Vitamin B12 deficiency can be "boasted" by people who do not include animal food in the diet. In this case, how to increase hemoglobin in the blood? What type of foods are suitable for vegetarians?
Of the plant foods that increase hemoglobin in the blood, only soybeans containing a certain amount of this element and kelp (seaweed) can be called. The rest of the list consists solely of non-vegetarian ingredients:
- salmon fish, sardines and herring, oysters and mussels;
- beef offal;
- rabbit, beef, lamb meat;
- egg yolks.
Vitamin C is responsible for improving the digestibility of all other elements necessary for normal hematopoiesis. For example, iron without this element will not be absorbed at all. The uniqueness of ascorbic acid is that the body is not able to synthesize it, which means that, except by ensuring its sufficient entry with food, there is no other way to “start” blood formation processes.
List of products that increase hemoglobin in the blood, containing vitamin C:
- pomegranates, plums, dried fruits, peaches, all citrus fruits;
- rosehip, blackcurrant, sea buckthorn;
- all kinds of cabbage, radish, red bell pepper.
It should be noted that ascorbic acid is completely destroyed at a temperature of 190 degrees, and not 100, as many publications claim, so boiling will reduce its amount by only 20%.
Vitamin Norms
Haphazard intake of fortified foods can minimize the use of important elements or lead to the opposite result. At the same time, an insufficient number of them will not give the expected effect, and nutritional supplements will have to be included in the diet.
The norm of vitamins that should be present in the daily diet of a man and a woman differs:
- boys from 15 to 19 years old - 12-14 mg, men from 20 to 44 years old - 18-20 mg, after 45 years - 12-15 mg;
- girls from 15 to 17 years old - 15-17 mg, women from 18 to 44 years old - 18-19 mg, after 45 years - from 13 to 16 mg.
The daily intake of vitamin C is:
- girls 14-17 years old - 63-65 mg, women from 18 years old - 59-63 mg;
- boys 14-17 years old - 65-68 mg, men from 18 years old - 90-93 mg.
The norms of B vitamins do not have such a clear separation by sex and age and are in an ideal daily ratio:
- B6 - from 1.5 to 3 mg;
- B9 - from 110 to 410 mcg;
- B12 - from 2 to 3 μg.
You can make up for the lack of iron by using it as a part of products with a volume of pure substance of not more than 45 mg. It is important to know that in pursuit of healthy hemoglobin and obtaining an “emergency” result, it is impossible to violate the above maximum values, since this will lead to an over-saturation of the body with a certain element and will entail negative consequences.
List of the best hemoglobin boosting products
How to increase hemoglobin in the blood? Top Performance Products:
- Beets do not lose their benefits in stewed or boiled form, but it is recommended to eat raw. A rich source of iron and a natural stimulant of red blood cell activity.
- Carrots - it’s better to use boiled carotene as a source of carotene, but it is preferable in raw form as an iron former.
- Tomatoes are an excellent vessel cleaner that saturates the blood with all groups of necessary substances, including vitamin C.
- Potatoes are eaten boiled, although in this form the number of trace elements in it is significantly reduced. However, cooked potatoes are valuable in their high iron content.
- Zucchini, squash - an indispensable source of ascorbic acid.
- Apples - fresh apples can make up half of the entire norm of iron, as they contain 22 mg of this element in 1 kg of product. Pear has a similar value.
- Peach is a leader in the “iron” struggle: two medium fruits a day will give the body at least 8 mg of iron, and 1 kg of fruit contains the entire daily norm of the substance - 40 mg.
- Quince - 1 kg of this product will give the body 30 mg of iron. Persimmon is slightly behind this indicator - 25 mg per fruit.
- Pomegranates, apricots, kiwi and fresh plums are fruits that include a large number of vitamins and minerals, so their presence is necessary in the diet when anemia is threatened, but they are insignificant in terms of iron content - from 0.5 to 1 mg per 100 g of food.
Berries and nuts are another unique source of vitamins, without which the assimilation of iron by the body is simply impossible. We must not forget that along with useful substances in the composition of most products, the body also receives phytic acid with phosphates, which interfere with the absorption of most trace elements, literally in transit passing them through the intestines. To prevent the loss of valuable substances can: cranberries (with honey or sugar), blackcurrant, mountain ash and walnuts. All citrus fruits have this property.
Folk recipes to increase hemoglobin
Green walnuts are the favorite product used in traditional medicine recipes to increase red blood cell counts. For the preparation of therapeutic mixtures, gruel from unripe fruits is used:
- One and a half kilograms of natural honey is combined with 5 teaspoons of nut mass and insisted for 21 days in a dark, cool place, stirring gruel regularly (up to 3 times a day), then rearrange in the refrigerator. Take thick 1 tbsp. spoon 3 p. / day, 30 minutes before eating, until the banks are completely empty.
- 80 g of white raisins are poured with cold water for 2 hours, then the water is drained and the softened raisins are combined with 30 g of nut gruel. The mass is prepared in the morning, then divided into three parts, which are consumed during the day, before meals.
What other products can increase hemoglobin in the blood? Foreign herbalists used for this purpose the heads of red clover, taking 4 pieces each and completely dissolving in cool boiling water (1.5 cups). After half an hour of infusion, the liquid was divided into three portions and drank before meals during the day. Treated in this way for 30 days.
The leaves of blackberry, white crayfish, St. John's wort - in only 2 parts - were taken in dried form, mixed and poured in the amount of 10 g with warm water (250 ml). After three hours of infusion, the liquid was filtered and given to the patient for 1 tbsp. spoon 3 r / day for a month.
Attention! With increased hemoglobin in the blood, products that are part of the following recipes should be limited in the diet or temporarily completely eliminated.
The subtleties of juice therapy
It is irrational to use concentrates diluted to a liquid state purchased in stores for treatment, since only freshly squeezed fraches have the ability to positively affect the body. Even natural juice, which stood on the table 20 minutes after preparation, will bring half less benefit than a similar one, but drunk immediately after squeezing.
100% juices are drunk in small portions 2-3 times a day, half an hour before a meal, and this does not have to be fruit mixes - fruit and vegetable smoothies and just vegetable juices are of great benefit.
The leaders in terms of utility among juices are:
- Potato juice of red varieties - it requires no more than 30 ml for a single dose, that is, 90 ml per day.
- Carrot juice of bright orange varieties will be beneficial if consumed in an amount of 350-500 ml per day (children need to be diluted with water 50/50). There is a nuance - carotene contained in carrots is digested only with fats, so before drinking juice you need to eat a spoonful of butter or good sour cream.
- Beet juice - the only one that will have to withstand after squeezing in an open bowl for at least 2 hours - so it will lose its aggressiveness and be more perceived by the gastric mucosa. They drink it for 2 tbsp. tablespoons (children - diluted), three times a day. The maximum volume of beet juice per day is 100 ml.
- Apple juice is consumed both independently and to soften the taste of most vegetable juices. In the absence of allergies, you can drink it in large quantities - up to 1 liter per day.
Indisputable benefits are mixed mixes, for example from beets and apples, carrots and beets, radishes and carrots. However, you need to take such formulations as a medicine, bringing the total amount drunk per day to 100-150 ml. To improve the taste of the finished juice, you can add a spoonful of honey to it.
The right diet for pregnant women
During pregnancy, the diet of women should contain a set of only the most wholesome and fortified foods. How to increase hemoglobin in the blood of a pregnant woman?
Doctors may start to sound the alarm if the hemoglobin level during the period of gestation falls below a threshold of 110 g / l. Since the mother of the future mother is assigned a double load, the consumption of iron in her body also occurs faster, which means that it needs to be replenished more often.
An insufficient supply of oxygen to the fetal neural tube can lead to a delay in the development of the child, and in relation to other organs of the baby, the role of red blood cells transmitted by the mother is very important. Therefore, doctors place a strong emphasis on monitoring the hemoglobin level in a woman and, if it is deviated to the lower side, individually develop a dietary scheme that is necessary to adjust the indicators at the optimal level.
Products that increase hemoglobin in the blood during pregnancy:
- beef offal;
- turkey meat, beef, lamb;
- cereals - millet, Hercules, buckwheat;
- quail eggs;
- walnuts, almonds, pine nuts;
- dried fruits;
- pumpkin.
In addition to these products that increase hemoglobin in the blood of pregnant women, it is useful for a woman to eat a lot of greens (except too spicy), spinach, lettuce. You should not make the menu exclusively on products from the list, but successful combinations of the above components with the addition of spicy vegetable sauce, slices of raw and boiled vegetables, honey will help to make the table more diverse.
In addition, from many plant products that increase hemoglobin in the blood of women, you can prepare interesting fresh juices, but only if their concentration is slightly reduced by boiled water.
How to raise hemoglobin in the elderly
What foods increase hemoglobin in the blood of elderly patients? Almost a quarter of elderly people according to the results of a general blood test regularly receive an appointment to take drugs containing iron. However, a decrease in the level of red blood cells after the age of 60 is not a problem of food culture and the body does not lose its ability to absorb iron and vitamins. The decisive factor is diseases associated with worsening vascular patency, the presence of tumors, and disorders of the gastrointestinal tract.
Products that increase hemoglobin in the blood of older people are selected taking into account existing diseases, so there is no single list suitable for all cases of a decrease in the number of red blood cells. Recipes are considered universal, having among the contraindications only individual intolerance - they can be recommended to patients of almost all categories of age-related diseases:
- 200 g of boiled buckwheat, 150 g of walnuts are ground in a meat grinder and combined with 250 ml of liquid honey. The mixture is stored in the refrigerator and consumed 1 teaspoon twice a day, before meals.
- Dried apricots, soft prunes and a mixture of different nuts are taken in equal parts and grind in a meat grinder. You can add honey for viscosity. The mixture is eaten 1 teaspoon 3 times a day, regardless of meals.
Medicinal teas from wild rose, hawthorn, and mountain ash will be useful for the elderly. Infusions are prepared in the morning in the amount of 150 ml and are drunk before breakfast in small sips, it is possible with the addition of honey.
Prevention of Anemia in Children
The products that increase hemoglobin in the blood in children are used the same as for adults, with the only difference being that their presentation may be more inventive, since small children are not always ready to eat healthy, but unsightly. In the diet of the child must be present:
- low-fat fish;
- beef and rabbit meat (not all children tolerate lamb);
- "Hercules", millet and buckwheat (cook on water);
- plums, persimmons, apples;
- carrots, beets, tomatoes, potatoes, zucchini;
- blackcurrant, strawberries, raspberries, cranberries;
- all greens except spicy;
- legumes, dried fruits and nuts.
Often, even having the entire list of necessary products available, how to increase hemoglobin in the blood, it remains an open question, because the child stubbornly does not want to eat berries or boiled vegetables. The situation is saved by sweet (on honey) mashed potatoes from the same vegetables, which with a drop of food coloring will look bright and appetizing, and from the berries, whipped together with soft ice cream, wonderful healthy desserts are obtained.