White blood cells keep you healthy; they attack infections throughout your bloodstream, rendering germs harmless when your immune system is in top working order. Your physician may recommend medications to help with your white blood count, but you can also change your diet. Many foods contain nutrients that increase production of white blood cells.
Wheat Germ
Eat wheat germ to improve your white blood count. This food is an excellent source of zinc, a mineral necessary for white blood cell production; it also improves the effectiveness of these cells for fighting infection. A 1-cup serving of wheat germ provides you with 14.1 mg of zinc; adult women require 8 mg of this mineral each day, and adult men need 11 mg of zinc daily. What germ also provides you with 91.1 mg of selenium per serving, an amount that meets your daily need of 55 mcg. Selenium also helps trigger white blood cell production.
Mussels
Boost your white blood cells by consuming mussels. A 3-oz. serving of mussels cooked with moist heat introduces 76.2 mg of selenium into your diet. This more than satisfies your daily selenium requirements. Mussels also supply zinc; one serving contains 2.27 mg of this mineral. Both of these minerals influence your body's ability to manufacture white blood cells. Additionally, mussels have a small amount of vitamin A, a vitamin that helps white blood cells work better. A serving of mussels contains 258 IU of vitamin A, which provides a small portion of the 2,300 to 3,000 IU needed each day.
Sweet Potatoes
Replace the white potatoes in your diet with sweet potatoes; they help with your white blood count. One large baked sweet potato with its skin contains 34,592 IU of vitamin A, many times the amount you require each day for white blood cell effectiveness. Sweet potatoes are a source of minerals that boost white blood cell production, such as zinc and selenium too. A large sweet potato has 0.4 mcg of selenium and 0.6 mg of zinc.
Crab
Including crab meat in your diet improves your white blood count due to the nutrients in this seafood. A 3-oz. portion of Alaskan King Crab introduces 34 mcg of selenium and 6.5 mg of zinc into your meal plan. While neither quantity entirely meets your dietary needs, both provide a substantial percentage of the amount you need each day for triggering white blood cell production. You also get a about 25 IU of vitamin A to improve white blood cell efficacy.
References
- AskDrSears.com: 8 Foods That Boost Immunity
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Wheat Germ, Crude
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Zinc in Diet; March 2009
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Selenium; May 2009
- USDA National Nutrient Database: Mollusks, Mussel, Blue, Cooked, Moist Heat
- Dr. Ronald Hoffman; Nutrients That Boost Immunity; R. Hoffman, M.D., CNS
