Boost your hemoglobin

Low hemoglobin levels have become one of the most common conditions. The symptoms of it are mild to moderate and hence it takes quite a while to diagnose it. But by the time you know about it, your hemoglobin levels have dropped to a level where it’s started affecting your daily life. Then also many of us choose to treat it at home by eating Spinach , right? But does this Spinach eating really helps in raising your hemoglobin levels? To know this first you need to understand what hemoglobin is and what exactly it does.

In the simplest of words, hemoglobin is a type of protein in your body that carries oxygen in the blood to the cells in your body. Hemoglobin is made up of iron and protein. It is present in red blood cells only.

Now can you guess the main reason for low hemoglobin levels found in large populations? Of course, it is a diet low in protein! No matter how much iron-rich food you consume, if you are not consuming enough proteins how will hemoglobin get built?

Though very common, low hemoglobin is a very serious condition that needs attention and medical and dietary intervention. Let’s see symptoms of low hemoglobin levels –

Fatigue

Weakness

Shortness of breath

Pale skin and gums

Irregular heartbeat

Along with a diet low in proteins, there is a number of reasons causing low hemoglobin levels. A second most common is a diet low in iron. So if you want to maintain your hemoglobin levels, keep the following tips in mind.

Keep watch on symptoms of low Hb and keep checking levels regularly.

Have enough proteins in your diet

Include iron rich foods in your diet

Maximise the absorption of nutrients in your body

Avoid foods which restrict the action of iron in body like caffeine

Consult doctor immidiately if levels are too low

Always remember if you have had a recent injury and blood loss, any internal injury, any chronic illness, or pregnancy, if you are a sports person, then you have to take extra care to maintain your hemoglobin levels.

Let’s see some hemoglobin-boosting foods you can include in your diet

1. Non vegetarian food sources: These work best as they contain both iron and proteins. Best sources among these are-

Beef

Chicken

Eggs

Lamb

Oyesters

Prawns

2. Vegetarian food sources: These mainly contain iron-rich sources so you have to add protein-rich foods separately. You can always find recipes that combine iron and protein sources together. Best vegetarian sources are –

Colocassia

Spinach

beetroot

legumes

dark chocolate

amaranth

bajra

jaggery

red kidney beans

sesame seeds

3. Include Vitamin C-rich foods like Amla , Lemon, etc.in your regular diet.