Haemoglobin: Follow these 5 ways to increase the iron rich protein in your body

Haemoglobin, aka Hgb, is a protein that is present in red blood cells that carry iron. The iron holds the oxygen and acts as a taxi helping to reach the oxygen throughout the body. As we know, oxygen is of utmost importance and that's why one cannot ignore the poor levels of haemoglobin as the same will negatively impact your overall health. One can get to know the levels of haemoglobin by analyzing a sample of your blood. Age, gender, medical history are some factors that can influence the levels of Hgb. Speaking of the normal levels of Hgb, ideally, men should have 14 to 18 g/dl while women should have 12 to 16 g/dl. Weakness, fatigue, headaches, shortness of breath, hair loss, dizziness, poor appetite and rapid heartbeat are some of the common symptoms of poor levels of haemoglobin.

Menstruating women, pregnant women, growing children and patients recovering from illnesses are more susceptible to low levels of this iron-rich protein. As per UNICEF’s report which was released in 2011, around 56% of teenage Indian girls could be anemic. Speaking of increasing the levels of haemoglobin naturally, there are various nutrients that come in play that will help in the production of the same. Nutrients such as iron, B vitamins, vitamin C and others are very vital. Read on to know which food items you have to stack up in your kitchen to achieve adequate levels of Hgb. 

1. Iron-rich foods

This comes as no surprise as many of us know how iron deficiency leads to haemoglobin deficiency too. Include iron-rich food items such as spinach, beetroot, tofu, chicken liver, egg, oysters, apple, pomegranate, watermelon, pumpkin seeds, dates, almonds, raisins, amla and jaggery among others. The iron levels may vary depending on several factors, however, an adult male needs up to 8mg/day while women, in the age range of 18 to 50 need around 19mg/day. Make sure you avoid iron blockers such as coffee, tea, cola and alcohol among others for better absorption of the nutrient.

2. Vitamin C rich foods

For better absorption of iron, one should also include vitamin C rich food items such as oranges, lemon, strawberries, papaya, bell peppers, broccoli, grapefruit, amla and tomatoes among others.

3. Include folic acid rich food items

Folic acid which is a B-complex vitamin is also one of the vital nutrients that helps in the production of Hgb and RBCs. Speaking of the best food sources of folic acid, green leafy greens, veggies, sprouts, dried beans, peanuts, bananas and beet among others will provide the same.

4. Fruits 

Fruits such as apple and pomegranate are full of nutrients that are required by the body to produce enough levels of hemoglobin.

5. Exercise

Did you know exercising can also help you gain hemoglobin levels? That's right. Moderate to high-intensity workouts leads to the production of more haemoglobin to meet the increasing demand for oxygen.