Platelets are blood cells that help in clotting, and this is important for maintaining their levels. However, some people have thrombocytopenia or low platelets, which means they need to find ways to increase their platelets naturally. Now all you must be thinking is that is what platelets function in blood. So guys platelets are small, colorless cell fragments in our blood that form clots and prevent or stop bleeding. So this is the platelets function in blood.
Now you can get platelets increase naturally by eating certain foods. In low platelet count, we need to feed some nutrients to our body and if you can’t eat foods, you can also take supplements of these nutrients available in the market.
But when you are suffering from low platelet count you need to avoid specific products, such as alcohol and artificial sweetener aspartame.
Now let’s talk about foods to eat on low platelets:
1. Folate-rich foods: Eating several minerals and vitamins may help to increase platelets. Folate-rich foods are one of them. Folate is a very important B vitamin for healthy blood cells. A folic acid is a synthetic form of folate. A study says that adults require at least 400 micrograms of folate daily and pregnant women require 600 micrograms.
Foods that contain folate or folic acid are the following:
- leafy green vegetables like spinach and Brussel sprout.
- beef liver
- cereals and dairy alternatives
- rice
- yeast
People must be careful not to consume an excessive amount of folic acid from fortified foods or any supplements because high levels of folic acid can interfere with vitamin B 12 function.
Eating lots of folate-rich foods won’t cause any problems.
2. Iron-rich foods: Iron is very important for healthy levels of red blood cells and platelets. Research on children and adolescents with iron-deficiency anemia suggests that iron can increase platelet count in people with this condition.
Male over the age of 18 and females over the age of 50 require 8mg of iron daily, while females aged 19-50 need 18 mg. And pregnant women need 27 mg of iron per day.
Iron-rich foods are:
- Beef liver
- fortified breakfast cereals
- kidney beans and white beans
- dark chocolate
- lentils
- tofu
Try to eat vegetarian sources of iron, like beans, lentils, and tofu, with a source of vitamin C to increase absorption rates. Avoid eating calcium-rich foods and taking supplements for calcium at the same time as a source of iron.
3. Vitamin D-rich foods: Vitamin D is a nutrient that contributes to the proper functioning of bones, muscles, nerves, and the immune system. Vitamin D also plays an important role in the function of bone marrow cells that produce platelets and other blood cells. The body can produce vitamin D through exposure to the sun, but not everyone gets enough sunlight each day. Adults of age 19 to 70 require 15 mcg of vitamin D daily.
Foods that include vitamins D are:
- egg yolk
- fatty fish
- fish liver oils
- fortified milk and yogurt
- fortified orange juice
- soy product
4. Vitamin K-rich foods: Vitamin K is very important for blood clotting and bone health. According to a survey, 26.98% of people who took vitamin k daily have an improvement in their platelet counts and bleeding symptoms.
Vitamin K requirement for adults, aged 19 and over is 120 mcg for males and 90 mcg for females.
Foods rich with vitamin K are:
- leafy greens, like turnip greens, spinach, and kale
- broccoli
- soybeans
- pumpkin
5. Vitamin C-rich foods: Vitamin C plays an important role in immune function. Vitamin C also helps platelets function properly and increases the body’s ability to absorb iron, which is another essential nutrient for platelets.
Foods that contain vitamin C are:
- broccoli
- brussels sprouts
- citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits
- kiwi
- green and red bell peppers
And the most important thing is that try to eat vitamin C-rich foods raw if possible because the heat process destroys vitamin C from foods.
6. Vitamin B-12-rich foods: Vitamin B-12 is essential for the formation of red blood cells. Low levels of vitamin B-12 in the body can also contribute to low platelet counts.
People of age 14 and above require 2.4 mcg of vitamins B-12 daily. Pregnant women and breastfeeding women require around 2.8 mcg of vitamin B-12 daily.
Vitamin B-12 is present mostly in animal-based products like:
- beef and beef liver
- eggs
- fish
But vegetarian people can get vitamin B-12 from the following foods:
- fortified cereals
- almond milk
- soy milk
- supplements
These were the nutrients and foods for low platelets but how would you know that you have low platelet count I mean how would you know platelets low symptoms. So platelets low symptoms or low platelet count only occur when the levels are particularly low. Mild low levels often do not show any symptoms.
The symptoms could be following:
- dark, red spots on the skin
- headaches after minor injuries
- easy bruising
- spontaneous or excessive bleeding
- bleeding from nose or mouth after brushing the teeth
People who experience symptoms must contact their doctor immediately. Low platelets can cause severe complications if you don’t take treatment.
If you have any query then contact us and if you like the article then subscribe to us and leave a comment.
Follow us on Instagram for motivation health and fitness content. Fitnessaddictionhub
