How to increase hemoglobin: diet and foods

The correct diet can be an effective tool in helping you increase the haemoglobin level in your blood. Here are some commonly available foods in India that you can add to your diet:

1. Fermented foods

Vitamin B12 deficiency is extremely common in India. Plant-based and vegetarian foods have very little vitamin B12, so people who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet need to pay special attention to make sure they get enough of this vitamin each day to avoid a deficiency. Fermented foods can help to fulfil the requirement of vitamin B12. Try to include fermented foods in one or two meals per day; for example, you can have idli and sambar for breakfast and dhokla for your evening snack. Other fermented foods are bread, dosa, jalebi, bhatura, fermented rice, curd, buttermilk, lassi, kanji, ambali, axoni, miso, hawaijar, or enduri pitha, as per your taste and preferred cuisine.

2. Chickpeas

Chickpeas are a tasty and great source of iron for a vegetarian person. You can add this ingredient to salads, pasta, or curry dishes. If you do not like the texture, you can purée‍ chickpeas to create a homemade iron-rich hummus. Adding lemon juice to your hummus will increase vitamin C in the snack and help your body more easily absorb the non-heme iron in the chickpeas.

3. Jaggery

Taking jaggery after a meal is one of the oldest desserts in India. Regular intake of jaggery in any form with any food will help combat anemia. The lack of folic acid and iron are both responsible for anemia (folate deficiency anemia and iron deficiency anemia, respectively). Jaggery is an excellent source of both, and consuming it regularly will help you prevent these conditions. This superfood also contains a good amount of iron, magnesium, potassium, calcium, selenium, manganese, and zinc, which are not only helpful in the purification of blood but is also good for the whole system including the biggest organ - the skin.

(Read more: Anemia test)

4. Sesame Seeds

Sesame seeds are commonly used seeds in India. They are a rich source of iron, copper, phosphorus, vitamin E, and zinc. Sesame seeds contain 20 mg of iron per cup, which is a good amount of your daily iron needs. You can add this superfood in your energy bar, sprinkle it in your salad, can add it in your homemade laddu, or can have it as tahini (a condiment from the middle east that is made from toasted and ground sesame seeds).

(Read more: Home remedies for Anemia)

Consuming foods that are rich in iron, folic acid, and vitamin B12 helps in maintaining hemoglobin levels and vitamin C can help to absorb iron. This is how you can include these nutrients in your diet:

Iron-rich food

Iron deficiency is one of the most common causes of low blood count and low hemoglobin levels. In this condition, an iron-rich diet can be helpful. To enrich your diet with this nutrient, try to add:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Egg yolk
• Whole grains
• Pulses and beans
• Meat and fish
• Dry fruits and seeds such as dates, peanut, pumpkin seeds

(Read more: Iron Test)

Vitamin C rich food

Vitamin C is an essential nutrient for blood. Iron is the main nutrient for hemoglobin and it cannot be fully absorbed by the body, which is why it needs a medium to help absorb it well. Here is where vitamin C comes into play. Eat more oranges, lemon, capsicum, tomatoes, grapefruits, berries, as they are super-rich in vitamin C. For better absorption, try to take one glass of lemon water with your major meals.

Vitamin B12 rich diet

Vitamin B12 deficiency anemia or pernicious anemia (a decrease in red blood cells when the body can't absorb enough vitamin B12)  is easy to treat with diet and vitamin supplements. To increase the amount of vitamin B12 in your diet, try to add these foods to your regular diet:

• Organ meat: Liver, kidney
• Meat and fish: chicken, fish, prawn, lobster 
• Vitamin B12 fortified foods: breakfast cereal, juice, nut milk, nut butter
• Dairy foods: Low-fat milk, yogurt, and cheese
• Eggs
• Nutritional yeast

(Read more: Anemia diet)

Foods rich in folic acid

Folic acid or vitamin B9 is required to make red blood cells in the body. A folic acid deficiency may lead to a low hemoglobin levels, which is very common during pregnancy. To add this nutrient in your regular diet, take:

• Green leafy vegetables
• Sprouts
• Dried beans (rajma, lobia)
• Peanuts
• Bananas
• Broccoli
• Beetroot
• Liver

(Read more: Folic acid test)

What to avoid:

• Avoid caffeinated drinks with your meals such as tea, coffee, carbonated drinks, energy drinks
• Stop smoking since it can inhibit the absorption of different nutrients in the body (Read more: Benefits of quitting smoking)
• Avoid food that is high in oxalate (which inhibits the absorption of iron) such as spinach, coffee, chocolate, and dark color carbonated drinks.

Other dietary tips to increase hemoglobin:

• Try to add lemon juice to your plain water.
• Use iron utensils to enhance the iron substance in your diet.
• If you are suffering from any gastric issues, please consult a gastroenterologist.
• Go for regular complete body check-ups and if there any signal for nutritional deficiency treat that as soon as possible.

You can follow this diet plan comprising foods easily available in India to increase the hemoglobin level in your body:

• Early morning: warm water (1 glass) + dates (4) + soaked almonds (6)
• Breakfast: bathua paratha (2) + cucumber raita (1 bowl) + orange (1)
• Mid meal: beetroot + carrot + tomato lemon juice (1 glass)
• Lunch: methi chapati (2)/ vegetable pulao (1 bowl) + kadhi (1 bowl) + beetroot and tomato salad (1 bowl)
• Evening tea: herbal tea (1 cup) + roasted seeds (pumpkin and sunflower) (1 tablespoon)
• Dinner: vegetable soup (1 bowl) + chapati (2) + palak paneer/ egg curry  (1 bowl)
• Bedtime: milk (1 cup)