Human blood contains a special protein - hemoglobin. It contains iron and is responsible for saturating the internal organs with oxygen. A decrease in hemoglobin levels negatively affects the entire body. Iron deficiency leads to anemia, poor health, and bad mood.
The normal hemoglobin level for women is 120-140 g/l, and for men - 130-160 g/l. In case of acute iron deficiency, the doctor prescribes special medications. A slight deviation from the norm can be eliminated with the help of properly selected food products.
What symptoms indicate low hemoglobin?
Hemoglobin is an important blood indicator
When the permissible levels of hemoglobin in the body decrease, a pathological condition called anemia or anemia develops. With this disease, the number of red blood cells decreases, which prevents the normal saturation of cells with oxygen.
With low hemoglobin, the following symptoms are usually observed:
- the appearance of dizziness;
- pale skin;
- constant weakness, drowsiness;
- cardiopalmus;
- the occurrence of shortness of breath during physical activity;
- sleep disturbance;
- cold hands and feet;
- “blue” lips;
- fainting.
Also, the development of anemia may be indicated by brittle hair and nails, chapped lips, and the emergence of addictions to certain odors that are unpleasant to most people around.
There are many reasons for a decrease in hemoglobin levels. Let's look at the most popular of them.
What foods are best to avoid?
In addition to the fact that there are foods that raise hemoglobin, there are foods that have the opposite effect. This occurs due to the content of microelements that reduce the degree of iron absorption. These include:
- calcium;
- tannin;
- phytate;
- phosphate;
- milk and soy proteins.
Therefore, when hemoglobin decreases, it is recommended to avoid certain foods. These include fresh bread, legumes, processed cheese, persimmon, and pomegranate. It is necessary to replace fried, canned, spicy, spicy, smoked foods with more dietary ones. Sweets - cakes and chocolates - have a negative effect on hemoglobin.
For a while, you need to reconsider the drinks you consume. Tea and coffee contain tannins, and carbonated drinks contain phosphates. These products reduce hemoglobin. Instead, you can drink fruit drinks and compotes made from fresh berries and fruits.
Due to their high calcium content, dairy products also inhibit iron absorption. However, you should not completely abandon them. To restore hemoglobin levels, you should eat milk separately from iron-containing foods, that is, cook porridge not in milk, but in water.
Factors influencing the decrease in hemoglobin
Most often, changes in the amount of hemoglobin in the blood occur under the influence of the following factors:
- poor nutrition;
- stress;
- serious pathologies of internal organs, tumors, blood diseases;
- large blood losses during injuries, operations, childbirth;
- impaired absorption of iron in the intestine;
- diets for weight loss;
- hormonal changes in the body;
- lack of vitamins B9 and B12.
Also, a decrease in the amount of protein important for our health can be caused by long-term use of certain medications and alcohol abuse.
Low hemoglobin may be a congenital individual feature of the human body. This condition is also typical for older people.
A hematologist will help to identify the cause of anemia and prescribe appropriate treatment. In most cases, it is enough to take a biochemical blood test.
Why does computer vision syndrome occur?
While working at a computer, the gaze is fixed on the monitor for a long time, due to which the frequency of blinking is significantly reduced and the tear film on the surface of the eye dries out.
As a result, the eyes turn red, irritation and burning appear, which bring great discomfort to the person. The fact is that gadget screens emit harmful blue light, which is refracted in front of the retina, thereby causing accommodation stress. Accommodation is the ability of the eye to change focal length by contracting and relaxing the ciliary muscle. The blue light spectrum reduces contrast and visual acuity. This is due to the fact that the human eye initially focuses on rays of different wavelengths at different points. But blue light is focused directly in front of the retina, causing blurred images, increasing the level of visual strain.
Ways to increase hemoglobin levels in the blood
Hemoglobin can also be increased with the help of foods
Anemia is often caused by a lack of certain vitamins and microelements.
In such cases, a balanced diet or taking special medications usually helps to raise the level of hemoglobin in the blood. For various diseases and frequent stress, the doctor prescribes complex therapy.
It is aimed at increasing the content of essential protein in the body and eliminating factors that provoke the development of anemia. Let's look at the most popular ways to increase hemoglobin levels in the blood.
With a special diet
Doctors say that to maintain normal hemoglobin levels in the body, it is enough to include lean meats, a large variety of vegetables and fruits, freshly squeezed juices in your daily diet, and also spend more time in the fresh air.
In most cases, a special diet helps to get rid of anemia, aimed at replenishing the lack of vitamins and microelements that caused the unpleasant condition.
Foods that increase hemoglobin
To prevent iron deficiency in the body, you do not need to go on a special diet. It is enough to introduce some foods into your diet. They will be especially useful for children and women, whose hemoglobin levels most often decrease.
Meat and liver
Animal products contain microelements that are best absorbed by the human body. Iron from meat and offal increases hemoglobin levels, and animal protein accelerates cell regeneration, which is why a person’s physical condition quickly returns to normal.
A balanced diet must contain liver. Pork contains 18 mg of iron per 100 g of product, and beef - 7 mg. Of the by-products, it is worth paying attention to beef kidneys - 6 mg of trace elements. As for meat, rabbit meat has the most iron - 3.3 mg. It is followed by beef - 2.7 mg, lamb - 2, pork - 1.7.
Eggs
The product increases hemoglobin (2.5 mg) and is perfectly absorbed due to animal origin. Eggs improve blood circulation, normalize blood pressure and have a hematopoietic effect.
Seafood
Products for raising hemoglobin include various sea shellfish (oyster - 6.2 mg, mussel - 3.2). Fish roe (2.4 - 1.5 mg), shrimp (1.8 mg), squid (1.1) are rich in iron. In combination with fatty acids and other beneficial substances, seafood takes one of the leading positions among healthy foods for humans.
Nuts
The product is rich in magnesium, potassium, omega acids and vitamins, which makes it an extremely healthy snack for humans. Regular consumption of nuts strengthens the immune system, improves blood circulation and relieves fatigue. The leaders in the effect on hemoglobin are pine nuts (5.5 mg), peanuts (5 mg), hazelnuts (4.7 mg).
Cereals
Whole grain cereals have a positive effect on hemoglobin levels. They should not be overcooked during cooking, otherwise the beneficial substances will be lost. Polished and processed cereals in the form of flakes are devoid of useful elements. For better absorption of iron, you should add foods to your cereals to increase hemoglobin: fruits and vegetables. But you should avoid dairy additives. Among the cereals, the following stand out: lentils (6 mg), peas (7 mg), buckwheat (2.2 mg), pearl barley (1.3 mg).
Fruits
They are an ideal plant source of iron. The products contain vitamin C, which helps in the absorption of the microelement. It is better to increase hemoglobin with dried fruits, which do not contain excess moisture, but only valuable substances. Apples in the form of dried fruits contain 15 mg of iron, prunes - 13, and dried apricots - 12. However, fruits should not be abused due to their high sugar content.
Vegetables
Various herbs and greens satisfy iron needs better than vegetables. It is recommended to combine a green side dish with meat for better absorption of microelements. Spinach (13 mg), parsley (6 mg), seaweed (16 mg) and tomatoes (8 mg) will help increase hemoglobin.
Turmeric
Contains a record 42 mg of iron per 100 g of product. Turmeric increases hemoglobin, strengthens the heart muscle, immunity, normalizes blood pressure, and facilitates the menstrual cycle. The product is added to various dishes and consumed separately in combination with honey.
What is anemia?
Anemia is a condition in which the body does not have enough iron to effectively transport oxygen through the bloodstream. An alternative name for anemia is anemia. This condition is accompanied by a sharp drop in the level of red blood cells and iron-containing protein in the blood serum.
It is worth noting that anemia leads to negative symptoms, including dizziness, headaches and lethargy. Several million people suffer from anemia in developed countries.
Important! Do not be confused, anemia is not a disease, but a sign indicating pathological processes in various organs. Therefore, to determine the cause of anemia, additional examinations will be needed.
According to WHO statistics, the most common form of anemia is iron deficiency. Insufficient intake of iron and vitamins from food creates an environment for slow synthesis of hemoglobin and red cells.
There are fruits that increase hemoglobin; they help both the synthesis of red cells and the absorption of iron and B vitamins in the small intestine.
Main symptoms
Symptoms of computer vision syndrome can manifest in different ways. However, there are a number of common signs that indicate the need to consult a doctor:
- Deterioration in the quality of vision, a feeling of blurred vision;
- Involuntary lacrimation, burning and stinging in the eyes;
- Difficulty focusing vision from distant objects to near ones and vice versa;
- Feeling of dryness and the presence of a foreign body in the eye;
- Redness, increased sensitivity to light and eye fatigue, etc.
Foods that help and hinder iron absorption
You can improve iron absorption by eating the following foods:
- red meat,
- liver and heart,
- fish,
- oysters and mussels,
- liver,
- seafood,
- cocoa,
- strawberries,
- strawberries,
- bell pepper,
- cauliflower,
- kiwi,
- tomatoes,
- parsley,
- young nettle,
- dried apricots.
Iron is poorly absorbed due to calcium and magnesium. Calcium is found in dairy and fermented milk products, magnesium is found in cereals and nuts.
Iron is also poorly absorbed due to abuse:
- coffee,
- teas,
- red wine,
- cereals,
- eggs,
- legumes,
- spinach,
- blueberries,
- sorrel.
