Foods to increase hemoglobin in the blood: list and recommendations

2024 Author: Isabella Gilson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:14

Anemia of varying degrees today is diagnosed in every second person. The risk group includes children under the age of five, adolescents, the elderly, women during pregnancy. Symptoms of this disease are similar to habitual fatigue from daily stress. Accordingly, people often ignore the signs of reduced hemoglobin.

Anemia symptoms

Symptoms that can identify anemia:

• feeling of lethargy, increased fatigue, impotence, indifference to what is happening;
• a state of chronic sleep deprivation; trouble concentrating;
• frequent headaches, dizziness;
• distortion of hearing (noise), gustatory and olfactory sensations;
• effect flies before the eyes;
• dry mucous membranes;
• pallor of the skin and blue circles under the eyes;
• problems with teeth, nails and hair;
• cracks in the cornerslips;
• bruising even with light pressure on the body;
• prone to nausea and heartburn;
• irregular chair;
• swelling of the face and limbs;
• rarely, chronic fever.

It is very important to pay attention to such body signals in time, also because anemia is often accompanied by other diseases, of which it, in turn, is a symptom.

What is needed to achieve normal hemoglobin levels?

• Food included in the diet should be rich in animal protein and iron.
• He althy hematopoietic system (without genetic and acquired disorders).
• Normal functioning of the large and small intestines.
• Presence in the consumed products of a sufficient dose of folic acid and vitamin B12.

In a situation where all the above conditions are met, there are no problems with hemoglobin.

Expert Tips

Regarding products to increase hemoglobin in the blood and their harmonious combination, doctors give a lot of valuable advice. First of all, they recommend that in case of iron deficiency, the emphasis should not be on taking medications, but on changing the diet. A verified diet with low hemoglobin is physiologically complete, it is saturated with calories, and the amount of proteins, minerals and vitamins is increased. Fats are consumed in smaller quantities, and carbohydrates remain at the average level. Thus, the food that includesfoods containing iron can enrich the body not only with this important element, but also with other trace elements that contribute to recovery.

To increase the iron content in the blood, in addition to the daily use of appropriate products to increase hemoglobin in the blood, you need to combine them in the right way. There are foods that promote iron absorption, and there are foods that prevent its absorption.

What foods should I eat to increase hemoglobin? According to studies, iron-containing foods of animal origin increase it at a faster pace than plant foods. Vitamin C contributes to the absorption of iron in the body. Combining, for example, meat dishes with tomato juice, and buckwheat porridge with pomegranate sauce and herbs, you can quickly achieve results. It is also advisable not to forget about taking ascorbic acid. And it is better to refrain from strong tea and coffee, because they interfere with the absorption of iron.

Almost all cereals, except for buckwheat and oats, slow down the process of iron absorption by the body. The same goes for pasta. Favorable is the combination of meat with a side dish of legumes or vegetables. Calcium interferes with the absorption of iron, so dairy products for anemia are taken separately from iron-containing ones.

In some cases, the absorption of iron is hindered by problems with the gastrointestinal tract. In this situation, only qualified diagnosis and treatment of a concomitant disease will help in the subsequent replenishment of iron deficiency in the body.

Sweets experts advise replacinghoney, which is a reliable assistant for the prevention of anemia and increase overall immunity. The daily norm of honey is about 50 g.

Increased hemoglobin in children

An adult with a decrease in hemoglobin feels a complex of unpleasant symptoms that create an unfavorable emotional background and affect the perception of quality of life. In childhood, anemia can provoke global disturbances in physical and mental development.

Babies receiving iron along with mother's milk are normally very rarely deficient. The fact is that in terms of the degree of assimilation, mother's milk is better than, for example, infant formula. Problems can arise only if the mother led an unhe althy lifestyle or if the baby is already receiving complementary foods. What foods to increase hemoglobin do children need? In this case, the diet of mother and child includes: buckwheat porridge, turkey meat, beets, apple and pear puree, pomegranate and carrot juice.

Children over the age of three can easily manage anemia by fortifying their diet with iron-containing foods. It is only necessary to take into account the presence of individual intolerance to certain products and allergic reactions.

Products to increase hemoglobin for pregnant and lactating women

One of the duties of a pregnant woman is to ensure that the body takes timely food rich in nutrients. Diet of a woman in positionshould be thought out taking into account the needs of not only herself, but also the unborn child.

What foods to increase hemoglobin during pregnancy should be consumed and why is it so important? The lack of iron in the blood of the expectant mother leads to oxygen starvation of all tissues and organs, which is a risk for the full development of the baby. That is why it is necessary for pregnant women to consume foods to increase hemoglobin in the blood every day.

Nutritional tips for treating and preventing anemia in expectant mothers:

• introduce green tea into the diet, which, unlike black, increases the absorption of iron;
• if possible, use freshly squeezed juices of vegetables, fruits, herbs;
• Pomegranate juice is indicated in small doses, as too much causes constipation;
• prefer whole grain bread;
• eat measuredly: several times a day in small portions;
• if there are signs of disorders in the gastrointestinal tract, immediately contact a specialist for help in compiling an individual menu.

What foods are good for increasing hemoglobin in diabetes

The specificity of diabetes mellitus is associated with impaired functioning of the kidneys, which normally produce the hormone erythropoietin. This hormone, in turn, is involved in the formation of hemoglobin. Accordingly, in diabetics, kidney problems and anemia are inextricably linked.

Against the background of taking medications, includingerythropoietin, patients with diabetes need to take care of a balanced diet, which includes foods that increase the level of hemoglobin in the blood. In total, the daily iron intake should normally not fall below the 20 mg mark.

In addition to controlling glucose levels, diabetic menus focus on high levels of folic acid and iron in an easy-to-digest form. In this case, the use of buckwheat, legumes, pumpkins and tomatoes, freshly squeezed vegetable juices is shown.

Foods to eat with iron deficiency

Top Hemoglobin Boosting Foods:

• Meat and offal. The leaders in iron content are beef and pork liver, as well as turkey meat. Iron is best absorbed from meat with minimal heat (it should not be frozen or overcooked).
• Fatty fish and shellfish (especially oysters as they are eaten alive).
• Rich broths containing natural extractives that stimulate the appetite.
• Egg yolk. If a person eats the whole egg, the percentage of iron absorption decreases.
• Beans. Lentils and beans do the job best.
• Some cereals, including buckwheat, oatmeal and wheat.
• Fresh juices. The most useful juices for blood: pomegranate, beet and cranberry, spinach and grape. By combining components with each other, you can get not onlyinteresting cocktails, but also enhance the effect.
• Melons. The most useful for hemoglobin are watermelon, melon and pumpkin. Pumpkin seeds are also rich in iron.
• Among fruits, leadership is given to pomegranate, persimmon and apples. Moreover, apples are no less effective in baked form.
• You should treat yourself to the following berries: blackcurrant, chokeberry, cranberry and strawberry.
• Rosehip decoction perfectly increases hemoglobin. It is best to steam it in a thermos overnight. In addition, this wonderful drink will replace coffee for invigorating properties.
• Salad of scalded nettles will not only be an unusual dish, but will also add iron to the diet.
• A salad of various greens will compensate for the need for folic acid, which is involved in the formation of blood cells.
• Walnuts. In combination with honey, nuts are delicious and as he althy as possible.
• The use of spices is welcomed with low hemoglobin, because. they have a rich composition of trace elements.

Additional recommendations for eating with anemia

Meals should be divided into several meals: up to six times a day. In connection with the weakening of appetite with low hemoglobin, eating in small portions will contribute to the full absorption of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. In addition, this way of eating will stimulate the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. Eating small meals allows the body to absorb meals and foods that are high in calories.

Food temperature for the receptioncorresponds to standard dietary standards: not lower than 15^oC and not higher than 60^{oC. Consuming excessively hot or cold food negatively affects the digestive tract, which will eventually affect the absorption of iron.}

From the usual methods of cooking, it is necessary to exclude frying. Foods prepared by stewing, steaming, boiling or baking will benefit.

The fact is that a lot of fat is consumed during frying, which is unacceptable with anemia. When such fats are digested in the body, undesirable side processes occur that adversely affect the work of the stomach and intestines.

Delicious and effective recipes for the prevention of anemia

Iron foods to boost hemoglobin can be part of delicious and nutritious meals. Here are some recipes for you:

• Mixing only 250 g each: dates, dried apricots, walnuts, prunes, raisins, pomegranate seeds and figs. Add a whole lemon and 250 g of dark honey. Grind the resulting composition in a blender or pass through a meat grinder. This he althy dessert for medicinal purposes is taken in two tablespoons three times a day, 20 minutes after meals.
• And for ten days, beet-carrot fresh juice is consumed daily in combination with honey. The ratio of juice of beets and carrots: two parts of carrots for one part of beets. Honey is added to taste. Take preferably in the morning.
• A mixture of a glass of walnuts and half a glassraw buckwheat is ground with a coffee grinder into flour. Honey is added in the amount of 100 g. The medicine should be taken 0.5 tablespoon three times a day before meals.
• Five sheets of aloe (aged overnight in the freezer) and one whole lemon are ground in a blender. A glass of honey is placed in the resulting gruel and everything is mixed. Dosage: 1 tablespoon thrice daily.
• Buckwheat is poured with kefir at night. In the morning it is ready to eat with dried fruits and nuts.

What foods are contraindicated for low hemoglobin

Thinking through the diet for the prevention of anemia, it is important to consider not only foods containing a large amount of iron. You should also reduce your intake of anything that interferes with the absorption of iron into your bloodstream.

To prevent iron deficiency, you need to reduce your intake:

• buffy flour products;
• black tea and coffee;
• caffeinated carbonated drinks;
• canned foods;
• alcoholic beverages;
• foods high in calcium.

Using alcohol in a therapeutic diet

With iron deficiency anemia is unacceptable. Ethyl alcohol interferes with the absorption of iron and other beneficial elements. It also has a destructive effect on the functioning of the liver, during which the destruction of hemoglobin and the synthesis of bilirubin occurs.

With anemia, a person is deficient in hemoglobin, so an excess of bilirubin will lead to jaundice. It should also be remembered that the intake of strong alcoholdrinks causes thrombohemorrhagic syndrome, in which blood clotting is disturbed even in the body of an initially he althy person. With chronically low hemoglobin, drinking hard alcohol is especially dangerous.

Conclusion

By implementing the rules and recommendations listed in this article, you can remove the symptoms of iron deficiency anemia in a short period. The simplest products, prepared according to the advice of experts, will correct the diet and strengthen the immune system. The most important thing is to remember the beneficial dishes as often as possible.

Depending on the individual he alth condition, it is advisable to coordinate the daily diet and intake of preparations containing iron with the attending physician for further monitoring and analysis of the treatment result.