The normal level of hemoglobin in blood is 14-18 mg/dl for men &
12-16 mg/dl for women.
Intake of Dates and Pomegranates
Pomegranates are delicious. From kids to adults everyone enjoys them
very much. This fruit is one natural source of Vitamin A, C, E, folic acid and
iron. It contains three times of antioxidants of green tea. By taking this
delicious fruit in any form will increase the supply of iron in blood and helps
in reducing the symptoms of low Hemoglobin (HB) level in
the blood.
Dates are favorites of everyone too! The tempting dates attract all and
are enjoyed by all. Dates or dried dates are considered to be extremely
nutritious. Along with iron, they contain potassium, calcium, magnesium,
Vitamin A and Vitamin B. Dates can boost your energy level as well.
Add Beetroot in your daily food
Beetroot is an appropriate source of iron. About one cup sliced beetroot
will give you 1.1 mg of iron. You can eat beetroot in various forms like
salads, beetroot juice, grated beetroot along with other vegetables like
potatoes and green beans.
A plain beetroot juice for 20 days can tremendously improve the hemoglobin level, which is tested by me personally. Alternatively, you can
enjoy a mixed salad of fresh vegetables which includes carrot, cucumber and
onion along with grated beetroot.
Eating Watermelon
Watermelon is one of the most refreshing, thirst quenching fruit
available year round. Watermelon is not only delicious but also is very
nutritious. Studies have shown that deep red, juicy watermelons have displaced
the tomato as the lycopene king.
Its juice can also be used to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy,
along with beetroot and pomegranate juice.
FYI: Lycopene is fat-soluble, meaning that it needs certain fats in the
blood for better absorption by the body. Watermelon consists of 92% of water
and 8% of sugar.
The fruit provides iron along with high levels of proteins,
carbohydrates, potassium, Vitamin C and Vitamin B. Regularly eating this
delicious and juicy fruit will boost your energy level and stamina.
Eating Yogurt, Broccoli
Yogurt is extremely rich in calcium. Due to its preparation process,
this dietary staple contains more calcium than the milk, from which it is made.
Global Health Body results say that, 8-ounce (250 grams) serving of low-fat
yogurt provides a 42 percent of your daily calcium needs.
Of all the non-dairy sources of calcium, Broccoli is second to leafy
vegetables; it contains 80mg of calcium. Broccoli isn’t only for bone-health;
it is an excellent source of Vitamin C, fiber and nutrients. You can make use
of broccoli in Pasta or in Salads.
Fresh Green Leafy Vegetables
Leafy vegetables are great source of iron and calcium. We have been told
thousands of times by our parents to have some green vegetables, and they were
right for a reason. Fresh green vegetables like Spinach (Palak), Fenugreek
Leaves (Methi) and beans can be used in our daily diet to balance the level of
calcium as well as haemoglobin.
Lentils like daal, rajma, sesame seeds (til) are other good source of
iron. Grains like barley, rice, semolina, bajra, maize can also be included.
Dry fruits like Almonds (Badaam), dried peaches or raisins are the best source
of iron for you. If you prefer eating Non vegetarian items, meat and fish are
also rich in iron and calcium.
Vitamin C Rich Foods
Vitamin C rich food helps the body to absorb iron from the food. Low level hemoglobin due
to deficiency of vitamin C can be corrected by proper intake of Vitamin C rich
fruits like Oranges, strawberries, guava, kiwi, papaya and grapefruit. You can
also enjoy them together by making delicious, lip-smacking juices or mixed
fruit salad.
If your hemoglobin count is low because your body is not producing
sufficient red blood cells, then you could be deficient in folic acid
(B-Complex vitamin that is required to make red blood cells). Sources of
folic acid include lentils, dried beans, peas, sprouts, pineapple, peanuts etc.
FYI: If you are having more of Vitamin C sources, then you have to
increase the intake of folic acid rich food in your daily diet.
Another way is to add dried herbs to your diet which will also help in
increasing the absorption of iron. Especially, spearmint leaves (Pudina), Basil
leaves (Tulsi), coriander (Dhania), bay leaf may be helpful.
Increasing Legumes in your daily diet
All types of Legumes are best plant foods, enriched with iron. Legumes
include soya nuts, red kidney beans, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, black beans,
lentils, fava beans.
Eating Legumes in your daily diet will gradually improve your iron
level and help to energize you. Women having gas problems should limit their
legumes consumption to 3 times a week.
Pumpkin seeds
There are lots of reasons to eat pumpkin seeds. They are not only rich
in iron but also rich in Omega-3 fatty acids and zinc. One-fourth cup of
pumpkin seeds contains 8.6mg of iron. The better way to eat them is as it is,
raw, or you can also add them in salad and eat.
It has been seen that comparatively, vegetarian sources of iron is less
readily absorbed, so vegetarians, especially pre-menopausal females should take
slightly higher intake of iron. The above mentioned food along with foods that
contains Vitamin C will be more helpful for curing iron deficiency.
FYI: While taking
iron supplements and iron-rich foods, you have to avoid intake of certain food
items, which affect the body’s ability to absorb iron. These iron-blockers
include tea, coffee, food rich in fiver, food with high level of calcium (Like
milk, cheese, chocolate).
If you consume above mentioned food items in proper proportion, you can
increase your hemoglobin and calcium naturally, within 2 to 3 weeks as tested
by me. It may vary from 2 weeks to over a month for different body types.
Never take any medicines, pills or drugs which guarantee you an increase
in hemoglobin and calcium. They are artificial and just temporary. Do not fall
for them!
Enjoy these iron and calcium rich foods, and improve calcium and hemoglobin. These foods to increase hemoglobin will also work
during pregnancy and for men as well. How to increase haemoglobin using simple
home remedies is probably a solved question now I believe.
When we look at foods that can
boost your haemoglobin we are looking for rich iron content. When it comes to
red meat, you will find heme iron (or iron that is well absorbed) and the best
part about it is that it can be easily absorbed in the intestine. But let's not
go binge on red meat, you don’t want to be down with cardiovascular disease that
could result from overeating or higher fat content. As with all else, a
balanced diet is the key here.
Veggies:
Beetroot, palak
or spinach, green peas, rajma or kidney beans, cabbage, turnip, sweet potato
and cauliflower are some vegetables that are easily available in the Indian
market. If you have access to imported veggies try out broccoli, lima beans,
collards and black beans. Beetroot is the best natural remedy to boost blood
count, it has the ability to regenerate iron content and activates red blood
cells, supplying fresh oxygen to the blood.
- Raisins, prunes, dried figs,
apricots, apples, grapes and watermelons not only get the red blood cells flowing
but also improve the blood count. Citrus fruits like oranges, amla or Indian
gooseberry, lime and grapefruit help to attract iron. They play a very
important role in increasing blood count.
- Some of us like them, some
don’t; but all nuts have some amount of iron in them. The king of all nuts with
the highest iron content is the humble almond. One ounce of almonds every day
provides 6% of iron. Dry fruits and nuts can be purchased from any provision
store in cities and towns. In fact, the good news is that almonds are the
cheapest of all the other nuts and dry fruits available to us; a definite sign
that Mother Nature does care.
- Check the labels on wholegrain
breads, pastas, and cereals; Each pack must contains 20% or more of the daily
value for iron. Whole grains offer many health benefits for which everyone must
try to incorporate them into their daily diets. Here’s one more reason to
continue doing so, whole grain is a rich source in iron.