While your red blood cell count can fall due to blood diseases and blood loss during surgery, poor nutrition can also cause your body to make fewer blood cells. You may become more susceptible to diet-related blood conditions when you get pregnant or pass age 50. Symptoms such as fatigue and weakness may indicated iron- or vitamin-deficiency anemia, a disorder in which your body does not produce enough red blood cells. Fortunately, improving your diet can correct deficiencies and positively affect your blood count.
Significance
Red blood cells carry oxygen to your muscles, organs and body cells to maintain metabolic activity. Your body continually replenishes dying blood cells with new ones. If you lose more blood cells than you produce, your heart and lungs must work harder to oxygenate blood, and they may not be able to supply enough oxygen for healthy body function. Over time, untreated anemia can produce complications such as heart arrhythmias and organ failure.
Lack of Iron
Low dietary iron intake or absorption in the body is a common cause of insufficient red blood cell production. Blood cell size and count may both be smaller than normal. Vegetarians, people with Crohn’s disease and individuals who don’t eat a balanced diet may not get enough iron from food sources. A lack of vitamin C in your diet may prevent you from absorbing iron, especially from plant-based foods. The National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute notes that pregnant women experience blood compound changes that might render red blood cell formation inadequate. This condition can be corrected with dietary supplementation of iron, vitamin C and other blood-forming nutrients.
Vitamin B Deficiency
Several B vitamins are essential to the blood-making process, including B6, B12 and folate, also known as folic acid and B9. Red blood cell formation also requires lesser amounts of riboflavin, or B2. These vitamins are found together or in different combinations in many food sources, such as eggs, spinach and meats, and are added to grain products such as cereal and pasta. Vitamin B deficiencies occur for reasons similar to dietary iron shortages. If you don’t consume animal products, you must find alternative sources of B12. If you are over age 50, your body might not be able to access natural B12, which can cause vitamin-deficiency anemia.
Dietary Improvements
Eating fortified cereal with milk supplies all of the elements you need to increase your red blood cell count. Besides iron and vitamins B and C, adequate protein intake enables the formation of new blood cells. Cereals and milk contain natural protein and B vitamins, and cereals may contain enriched content of iron, vitamin C and additional B vitamins. Additional supportive foods to eat include organ meats, clams, spinach, oranges and legumes.
References
- National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute; Anemia; August 2010
- Medline Plus; Iron-Deficiency Anemia; March 2010
- University of Maryland Medical Center; Vitamin B6; June 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010
- Medline Plus; Protein in Diet; July 2009
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: National Nutrient Database
