7 Safe Blood Enhancer Foods to Prevent Anemia
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough red blood cells, which can be caused by iron deficiency or genetic problems. This causes the process of delivering oxygen and nutrients by the blood to be disrupted. One way to overcome this condition is to eat blood-boosting foods.
There are various types of blood-boosting foods that are rich in iron, ranging from green vegetables, various meats, to whole grains. Iron itself is a mineral that plays an important role in the process of forming hemoglobin in red blood cells.
Let’s look at the following review to find out what blood-boosting foods are in full.
Types of Blood Enhancing Foods
Iron is an important component in blood formation, so a lack of iron in the body can cause a person to experience anemia . However, this can of course be prevented by consuming various types of blood-boosting foods that are rich in nutrients, minerals and vitamins as follows.
1. Foods Rich in Iron
Iron is a mineral that is needed by red blood cells to produce hemoglobin. Lack of iron intake in the body can cause iron deficiency anemia.
Iron can be obtained from several animal sources, such as red meat, chicken, seafood and organ meats. However, please note that these foods also contain a type of fat that can increase bad cholesterol (LDL) if consumed in excess.
Therefore, before processing meat, you are advised to get rid of the fat first to minimize the risk of increasing cholesterol in the body. It would be even better if the food is processed without oil, such as by baking or boiling.
Also balance this intake with green vegetables, such as spinach and mustard greens as additional iron from vegetable sources.
2. Foods High in Folic Acid
Folic acid (vitamin B9) is one of the nutrients that can help increase the production of red blood cells in the body. Where folic acid deficiency can lead to megaloblastic anemia.
Folic acid is found in many types of green vegetables and legumes, such as broccoli, spinach, peas and kidney beans. In order to obtain optimal nutrition, you are advised to cook it by steaming or sautéing.
Not only vegetables and nuts, folic acid can also be obtained from organ meats such as liver. However, offal should not be consumed in excess because it can trigger an increase in bad cholesterol (LDL) in the blood and buildup of uric acid.
3. Foods Rich in Copper
The next type of blood-boosting food that is no less important is food with copper content. Copper is a mineral that plays a role in helping the body increase the production of red blood cells.
If copper levels are low, the body can only absorb iron in small amounts so that hemoglobin production decreases. This condition can also cause a person to experience iron deficiency anemia.
You can get natural blood-boosting foods rich in copper from whole grains, nuts, cherries, chocolate, poultry, and seafood. However, make sure you have thoroughly washed the fruit and cooked the meat thoroughly before consuming it.
4. Foods Containing Vitamin A
Vitamin A deficiency can prevent the body from producing red blood cells. This happens because a body that is deficient in vitamin A is unable to absorb iron properly, thereby affecting the formation of hemoglobin.
Some foods for blood booster that contain vitamin A, including:
- Cow’s milk and its processed products.
- Brightly colored vegetables, such as carrots, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes
- Offal, such as beef or chicken liver.
- Egg.
However, you need to pay attention to the safe limit of consuming offal to prevent increasing cholesterol in the body.
5. Foods Containing Vitamin B12
Vitamin B12 can optimize bone marrow function in producing healthy red blood cells. Conversely, a deficiency of vitamin B12 can cause the shape of red blood cells to be imperfect, which tends to be oval or not round and flat.
Red blood cells that are not fully developed will die faster, so that the body will lack blood. To prevent this, you can eat foods rich in vitamin B12 such as organ meats, red meat, eggs, milk and cereals.
For people with anemia, it is recommended that you eat red meat 2-3 times a week to prevent symptoms from reappearing. You can also eat cereal at breakfast to increase blood and meet the needs of carbohydrates in the body.
6. Foods Containing Vitamin C
The benefits of vitamin C for the health of the body are very diverse, including helping the process of absorption of iron in the body. An increased amount of iron in the body is needed to help the bone marrow produce more healthy red blood cells. Some blood-boosting foods that contain vitamin C are oranges, tomatoes, strawberries and peppers.
7. Foods Containing Vitamin E
A lack of vitamin E in the body seems to increase the risk of hemolytic anemia , which is a type of anemia caused by the destruction of red blood cells faster than they should because they are too fragile. Where vitamin E is useful for protecting red blood cell membranes from damage caused by free radicals.
Vitamin E as a blood-boosting food can be found in nuts, milk, seeds, vegetable oils, vegetables and avocados. To make it more appetizing, these foods can be processed into delicious fresh salads.