Hemoglobin is essential to live a healthy life, and its production is vital for the body. This iron-rich protein is present in the red blood cells and is responsible for transporting oxygen from your lungs to other organs.
It is necessary to maintain optimum levels of hemoglobin for the body to function properly. These levels can drop due to many reasons like poor eating habits, poor absorption of nutrients by the body, and severe blood loss.
Any fluctuation in the hemoglobin levels can cause weakness, fatigue, and even anemia. But, fear not. You can maintain normal hemoglobin levels by including these iron-rich foods in your diet.
Grains And Legumes
Legumes and starch are great sources of iron, especially for vegans and vegetarians. Experts recommend consuming soybeans, kidney beans, and chickpeas that are rich in iron. Soybeans have almost the highest iron content, with 15.7 mg of iron in 100 g. On the other hand, starches like rice bran, oat bran, and wheat bran may not contain vitamin C but can be relied on for iron.
Apart from starch and legumes, even whole grains such as barley, oatmeal, and quinoa are rich in iron. Every 100 grams of any whole grain has over 2 mg of iron. So, if you are suffering from weakness or fatigue, you know what to do.
Fruits And Vegetables
A balanced and healthy diet needs to have fruits and vegetables as they provide a load of nutrients. And most importantly, they are excellent sources of iron. Oranges, lemons, litchis, and other citrus fruits are recommended for their vitamin C content. Vitamin C is important as it enables better absorption of iron.
Strawberries, prunes, pomegranate, and apples are rich in iron and other nutrients. They are recommended for people with low hemoglobin levels. Broccoli, potatoes, beetroot, and spinach are good sources of iron as well as vitamin C.
Seafood
You can depend on seafood for your daily requirement of iron and vitamin B12. Clams, oysters, and caviar are considered to be good sources that boost hemoglobin levels. Clams are considered to be one of the richest sources of iron, with a whopping 28 mg of iron for every 100 grams, along with fair amounts of vitamin C and vitamin B12.
Clam is considered to be the king of iron. However, if you are not keen on these, you can opt for seaweed, which is a good source of iron. Shellfish and oysters are a few other options that contain good quantities of iron.
Meat And Eggs
Meat, particularly red meat, is considered to be an excellent source of iron. Apart from that, chicken (chicken breast) is also a good source of iron. However, the highest concentration of iron can be found in lamb’s liver.
Not just that, it also offers other nutrients like folate, vitamin C, and vitamin B12 that are important to maintain normal hemoglobin levels. Turkey and beef (without the fat) are also good sources of iron. Eggs have been crowned the king of breakfast for a reason.
They offer a load of health benefits. They contain vitamin B12, folate, and iron, all necessary to boost hemoglobin levels.
Other Foods
There are other foods that can boost the hemoglobin levels in the body – like dark chocolate. That’s right! All you cocoa lovers can rely on dark chocolate for your daily dose of iron. Other sources include almonds, peanuts, and cashews. And lastly, you can’t miss out on these two.
Pumpkin and chia seeds contain more than the recommended value of iron for per day. There are many foods that offer you a load of protein and vitamin value. It’s all about eating a well balanced diet that contains the necessary protein for the normal functioning of your body.
These are a few foods that can help maintain the hemoglobin levels in the body. All you need to follow is a balanced diet that includes these foods, and you will enjoy optimum health.
So that’s all you need for the body to produce hemoglobin enough to meet the increasing demand of oxygen throughout the body. If not with food there are other ways in which you can boost your hemoglobin levels with supplements. But with these foods added to your diet you will not only experience a normalised level of hemoglobin production but other health benefits too. So start now to see the difference.
