Foods that Increase Blood Platelets

LOW platelet count is one of the major battles of people suffering from dengue and in other serious medical state. A healthy person should have a platelet count anywhere between 150,000 and 450,000. Some hospitals peg the levels to up to 350,000.

The average lifespan of each platelet is only around 10 days so the body needs tao keep up production of new platelets which are produced in the bone marrow. Children and teens who have dengue will experience low (and dropping) of blood platelets.

The platelets are one of the most important components of human blood, along with the red blood cells and plasma. So any number that is lower than the normal level, medication, therapy, surgery or even blood transfusion may be required.

There are several ways to naturally increase blood platelets except in severe cases where platelets drop rapidly. Regular screening and blood test is important to determine the numbers of platelets.

If the levels of platelets in the blood are slightly on the lower side, there are natural foods to help them increase. It is also advisable to consult a doctor to check the condition.

The platelet count in the blood should always be within the normal range. If it is too high, it could lead to severe blood clots, which could result in a stroke. In cases of thrombocytopenia which are accounted on dengue cases, patients with low platelet could suffer from prolonged bleeding problems, blood in the urine or stools, bleeding gums and nose (epistaxis).

To avert further decrease of platelet, a person should avoid refined foods, foods that contain sugar, soft drinks and other processed foods. Better switch to berries, oranges, tomatoes, green leafy vegetables, papaya leaf juice, kiwi fruit, flax seed and sweet lime juice.

Other natural ways to increase blood platelets is get adequate sleep and rest. Also increase the consumption of beetroots, apples, potato skins and bitter gourd. Consume at least one serving of green leafy vegetables in a day. Make it a point to consume all of them on a daily basis. Once your blood count starts going up, complex foods can be added to your diet. No junk foods along the process.

Take a lot of vitamin C supplements. You can obtain vitamin C from fruits and vegetables. Because vitamin C is water soluble, it can be easily absorbed by the body and will immediately help in restoring the body’s platelet count.

The most common home remedy is to drink the bitter extract from a papaya leaf. Two leaves without the stalk can yield approximately two tablespoons of the extract.

On the other hand, a group of pharmacy students from the University of Sto. Tomas have studied the efficacy of herbal plant Tawa-tawa extract that said increase platelet properties.

The researchers, Jeriz Anne Natividad, Hazel Lopez, Toni Ann Marie Luna, Rachelle Manalo, Jeriz Natividad and Clarisse Ngo subjected tawa-tawa’s leaves to boiling. Tawa-tawa’s platelet-increasing activity was tested on laboratory rats – Sprague-Dawley.

Results of the study showed that the tawa-tawa extract was effective in increasing the platelet count of rats without notable effects in red blood cell and white blood cell counts.

Omega 3 fatty acids are also considered for battling low platelet counts. And this includes cod liver oil, flax seed oil, tuna, wild salmon, and free range eggs that human body alone cannot biologically produced. It also boosts and strengthens the body’s immune system.

Vegetables like broccoli, dark leafy greens, malungay, kangkong, kale and spinach help raise the platelet count and stimulate the body’s internal mechanism.

Increasing platelet count is very important, especially if the problem is internal bleeding. Serious medical conditions related to platelet count drop should be reported to your doctor immediately and given medical intervention.

In minor cases, you can help your body get back to its normal state of equilibrium by ingesting healthy foods to increase platelet count and keeping your body functioning at its peak efficiency.

(source: Journal Online)