Platelets are clotting mechanisms and, ideally, you should have between 150,000 and 400,000 such cells per cubic millimeter of your blood, according to the website Chemocare. Many things can affect your body's production of platelets, including chemotherapy treatment and conditions such as idiopathic thrombocytopenia, where your body identifies platelets as intruders and attempts to destroy them. In most cases, your blood vessels will thin without sufficient platelets, and this allows blood to seep into surrounding areas. This can result in red dots called petechiae or larger reddish splotches called purpura. You might also bruise easily or experience nosebleeds or bloody stools.
Success
The success of dietary changes in raising low platelet counts hasn't been proved, but the Platelet Disorder Support Association reports about a survey that indicated that approximately 40 percent of sufferers who responded experienced improvement in their symptoms when they followed either a macrobiotic diet or one proposed by Dr. Peter D'Adamo's book, "Eat Right For Your Body Type." Respondents on low-carbohydrate diets achieved less improvement. The website Thrombocytopenia indicates that low-carb diets usually involve eating a great deal of protein, and the process of digesting protein can divert your body's resources from making platelets.
Recommended Foods
The Platelet Disorder Support Association indicates that patients who have achieved good results from diet modifications focused on fresh foods, especially vegetables that are rich in calcium and vitamin K, such as kale and collards. Both help clotting. Also encouraged are whole grain or wheat products and brown rice. Organic foods are free of pesticides that can lower your platelet counts.
Discouraged Foods
Avoid canned and frozen foods because they lose some of their nutritional value, according to the Platelet Disorder Support Association. White pastas and rice lose nutrients when they are processed, and refined sugar has no value either. Steer clear of fruits, fruit juices and dairy products. Milk can worsen autoimmune problems such as thrombocytopenia. Other foods that can interfere with clotting include tomatoes, blueberries, grapes, garlic, ginger and onions.
Related Contraindications
Chemocare warns against taking medications that can interfere with clotting, including prescribed medications and over-the-counter products such as aspirin and ibuprofen. Alcoholic beverages can interfere with your production of bone marrow, so you should not drink. Quinine lowers platelet counts, so avoid any products containing this, as well.
Warning
The Platelet Disorder Support Association indicates that making any radical change to your diet can result in withdrawal effects and detoxification. Talk to your doctor before adding or eliminating too many foods from your regular diet.
