Diet For High Hemoglobin

How to eat properly when the level of hemoglobin is increased? What products should be excluded? What must be included in your diet?

How to eat properly when the level of hemoglobin is increased? What products should be excluded? What must be included in your diet?

What is hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is a protein in red blood cells, which consists of globin (protein) and heme (iron compound). Blood becomes red due to iron atoms.

With the help of hemoglobin, oxygen and carbon dioxide are transported throughout the body. Men's blood contains more hemoglobin than women's blood. Hemoglobin norms: in men 135-160 grams per liter of blood, in women 120-140 grams per liter of blood.

Why hemoglobin increases

An increased level of hemoglobin can indicate diseases such as:

• increase in the level of erythrocytes in the blood,
• blood clotting
• intestinal obstruction,
• burns
• cardiopulmonary failure,
• diabetes,
• chronic bronchitis,
• pneumonia.

Smoking causes a lack of oxygen in the blood, so hemoglobin increases.

But not always elevated hemoglobin means a disease or a deviation from the norm. Hemoglobin increases after heavy physical exertion, i.e. in athletes, in people engaged in active sports. Also climbers and pilots, because they spend a lot of time at altitude. An elevated level of hemoglobin is the norm for people who live in mountainous areas.

Nutrition with increased hemoglobin

The main principles of nutrition with increased hemoglobin:

• drink as much liquid as possible
• reduce the consumption of meat, offal, proteins,
• eat vegetable proteins: soy, legumes,
• it is allowed to eat fish and seafood in small quantities,
• the basis of nutrition is porridge,
• you should eat as many vegetables as possible - raw or thermally processed,
• fruits should be consumed.

The diet for people with high hemoglobin does not exclude iron-containing products. The diet should be selected, taking into account the factors that increased the level of hemoglobin in the blood.

You should use the right dietary iron

Various food products contain dietary iron, which can be divided into heme and non-heme iron. These two types of iron differ in their assimilation in the human body. Heme iron is absorbed easily, and non-heme iron is absorbed slowly. Therefore, with high hemoglobin, you should eat foods that contain non-heme iron so that the iron is not absorbed into the blood. Heme iron is found in animal products, and non-heme iron is found in fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts .

Useful food products for high hemoglobin

It is necessary to eat foods containing non-heme iron, which help to normalize the level of hemoglobin: rice, whole grain breads, tofu cheese, beans, spinach, grapes, apricots, nuts.

The content of non-heme iron in food products

Soybeans (boiled) 100 g – 5.14 mg of iron, lentils (boiled) – 4 mg, spinach (boiled) – 3.57 mg, tofu 100 g – 6 mg, chickpeas 100 g – 3 mg.

The liquid is a medicine for high hemoglobin

With the help of plain water with the addition of lemon juice, you can achieve blood thinning, thereby bringing hemoglobin back to normal.

With increased hemoglobin, you should drink 2-3 liters of liquid per day. You can drink water, tea (black, green), compotes (without sugar), but exclude juices and carbonated drinks.

Dehydration of the body can lead to an increase in hemoglobin, so you should drink more fluids. Dairy products are rich in calcium, so they prevent the absorption of iron in the body.

Foods to avoid

Some foods should be completely excluded from the diet with elevated hemoglobin, because they most often contain heme iron and can harm the body:

Alcoholic drinks should be completely excluded. Because when iron and ethyl alcohol are combined, harmful elements are formed that disrupt the work of the liver. Also, alcohol improves the absorption of iron, which leads to an increase in hemoglobin in the blood. The breakdown products of alcohol stimulate hematopoiesis, so people who often drink alcohol have an increased level of hemoglobin.

Fish and seafood are rich in heme iron, so you need to say "no" to raw, dried and red fish. The condition of the body will worsen due to eating raw fish (this applies to lovers of sushi and rolls). Because the bacteria found in raw fish cause infectious diseases in people with high levels of iron in the blood. You can eat well-cooked fish or seafood.

Sweets and sugary products should be excluded from the diet. Cakes, rolls, and pastries do not contain heme iron, but their consumption promotes the absorption of iron even from products containing non-heme iron.

Red meat is recommended to be completely excluded from the diet. It is allowed to eat lean meat. All types of liver should also be avoided.

Red fruits, vegetables and berries should be excluded, because they are rich in substances that stimulate the increase of hemoglobin. You can not eat apples because of the high iron content.

With an increased level of hemoglobin, you need to consult a doctor to determine how best to normalize hemoglobin in the blood, if there is such a need.