Believe it or not, your blood doesn’t have the same function as oil in a car engine: just rolling through you and keeping you lubricated! Your blood does a ton of extremely important things and is comprised of several different types of substances. Most people don’t think that it’s very important to be cognizant of your blood count unless you are anemic, but taking measures to boost and enrich your blood can pay dividends even if you consider yourself to be healthy. I’ll explain the nature of your CBC (Complete Blood Count), why it matters, and how you can improve it.
Complete Blood Count (CBC) and Why It Matters
Your CBC is the sum total of your red blood cell count, white blood cell count, and platelet count. You can get your CBC tested by your doctor or by any licensed testing facility. Each of these different blood components has an important function in your body and can be nurtured in its own way. Red blood cells are your body’s primary oxygen carriers. Your body receives oxygen through the lungs and transfers it to your blood cells in the bronchioles. From there it is distributed through the body to assist in cell respiration and the oxidization of nutrients in your cells. In other words, your metabolism is directly linked to the efficiency of your oxygen consumption. Thus, lower levels of blood cells translate to slower metabolism and the buildup of waste that has not been fully metabolized, making your body more toxic than it should be.
White blood cells are the building blocks of your immune system. They fill this role by attacking foreign or dangerous cells that enter your body. Therefore, it should be obvious that having healthy numbers of these cells translates to greater health!
Platelets are protein-rich cell fragments that assist cell growth and contribute to clotting (in the good sense) whenever you bleed. People who are low in their platelet count often bleed excessively and miss out of the restorative and growth benefits of sufficient platelets.
What to Do About Your CBC
If you have anemia, dangerous blood clots, cancer, or any other form of illness that relates to the blood, then those underlying issues may keep the following advice from proving successful, but the for the average person who considers themselves to be healthy, I suggest getting your CBC done professionally and go from there. If you find that you have lower blood count or would like to see your normal blood count increased, here are some useful tips.
Often, in an otherwise healthy person, low red blood cell count is linked to iron deficiency. My wife was experiencing headaches and dizziness and was told by her doctor to try iron supplements to boost her red blood cell count. While she did this, she did notice improvement. Iron can come in tablets, or in natural food such as spinach and other green leafy foods such as kale and beet greens (with the exception of lettuce), whole wheat bread, fish, eggs, and red meats.
White blood cells, and thus your immunity, are usually bolstered by increased levels of vitamins A and C, coupled with a decreased level of sugars and unhealthy fats. Instead, supplement your diet with lean meats and leafy greens, getting your sweet tooth satisfied on fructose (fruits) instead of refined sugar. Additionally, stress is usually linked to low white blood cell count. Whether your stressors are perpetual or temporary, you can deal with it through exercise, stretching, and meditative activities such as yoga and long walks.
Platelet growth can be facilitated through getting adequate vitamin K (1 cup of broccoli or kale can offer more than enough per day), calcium (central to both bone growth and blood clotting), and decreasing your levels of alcohol consumption if you tend to drink more than is appropriate.
If you follow the above recommendations, you should be off to a good start in your pursuit of high CBC, health, and happiness!
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