How to increase hemoglobin for a vegetarian quickly and without drugs

What is hemoglobin

Hemoglobin is the most important iron-containing element in the blood that is generated in the body. In vertebrates, it is formed in red blood cells at the initial stages of their development. The pigment present in hemoglobin is responsible for the red color of blood.

The main function of hemoglobin is to saturate the body's cells with oxygen . Thanks to iron, the protein combines with oxygen molecules and transports them from the lungs through the bloodstream to the body tissues. Thus, iron is a mineral without which life would not be possible.

Doctors began to pay special attention to hemoglobin, since it is responsible for the proper functioning of all body systems. Abnormal hemoglobin values ​​can cause illness.

Low level – signals an insufficient supply of oxygen to the body. This is called iron deficiency anemia . An unbalanced diet often leads to illness, when the body does not receive enough iron, vitamins and minerals from food.

Note!

Symptoms of anemia are: fatigue and weakness, frequent dizziness, lethargy, paleness and dry skin. With severe iron deficiency , in addition, the following are observed: delamination and changes in the structure of the nails, brittle hair and severe split ends, calf cramps, changes in the surface of the tongue and impaired taste, cracks in the corners of the lips, chills.

The level hemoglobin content in blood cells greatly depends on gender and age, physical condition and the presence of bad habits. We do not recommend following generally accepted tables.

If you have any questions about your physical condition, consult your doctor.

Asanas and pranayama

Eastern medicine advises vegetarians to regularly perform their yoga exercises. A number of asanas and breathing manipulations (pranayama) help improve the functioning of the body, cell renewal, and the removal of toxins.

If your hemoglobin is low, do the following exercises daily:

• shoulder blade stand (birch tree). On the floor, lift your legs and pelvis up, rest your hands on your buttocks with your elbows bent;
• raising the legs at a straight angle. From a lying position, lift your closed straight legs and maintain an angle of 90 degrees;
• deep breathing. Sit on the floor, clasp your knees with your hands and press them against your chest. Take deep, long breaths in and out for 1 minute;
• holding your breath. From a sitting position on the floor, take a full lungful of air, rest the tip of your tongue on the roof of your upper jaw, arch your chest forward and arch your back. Hold your breath as long as possible and exhale deeply.

Yoga and breathing exercises help improve blood flow by compressing blood vessels. Static poses and pranayama stabilize the emotional state and improve well-being.

Vegetarianism and hemoglobin: myths

A little history

Vegetarianism (refusal of animal slaughter products for food) has been a part of human culture since approximately the 5th-3rd centuries. BC. Pythagoras, Aristotle, Zarathustra and Plato did not eat meat.

The fashion for vegetarianism came to Europe in the mid-19th century. Today, vegetarianism is widespread almost throughout the globe.

People choose a vegetarian lifestyle for various reasons :

• strengthening the immune system;
• cure for chronic diseases;
• ethical considerations or philosophical beliefs.

What about now?

The World Health Organization, as well as the Dietetic Association of the USA and Canada, note that there are many advantages to vegetarianism . Nutritionally balanced, properly calculated vegetarian food is good for health.

Vegetarianism allows you to relieve chronic illnesses, and sometimes get rid of them completely, helps strengthen the immune system, restore the functioning of the digestive system, and much more. Plant-based foods suit everyone.

The risk of cancer, cardiovascular, kidney and other diseases for a vegetarian 40% lower

Living a meat-free life reduces the risk of diabetes, joint and hormonal problems. Estrogen and cholesterol levels are reduced due to the abundance of plant fiber in the diet. Depression goes away, mental problems are alleviated. As medical statistics show, increased consumption of animal fats can cause problems with the cardiovascular system. Eating meat – with the gastrointestinal tract, because. Long-digesting food leads to the accumulation of toxins. By replacing heavy meat proteins with plant fibers and polyunsaturated lipids, cholesterol levels decrease and liver function improves.

Reference!

The benefits of switching to a vegetarian diet do not appear immediately. After one to two weeks, you will feel a surge of energy and improved functioning of the digestive system.

widely known myth is that vegetarians are at risk of developing anemia because... They do not get the required amount of protein, vitamin B12, iron and other microelements found in meat with food.

This often discourages those who want to change their lifestyle in favor of vegetarianism.

Often, beginning vegetarians , faced with a decrease in hemoglobin values, come to the conclusion that such a diet is harmful to their health. Many return to their usual diet, with the presence of meat in it. But a common reason lies not in the lack of meat as such, but in a nutritional imbalance.

Cleansing

Vegetarianism is considered not only an eating behavior, it is following Eastern practices. Followers of the technique often use various methods of emptying the gastrointestinal tract for cleansing purposes.

Vegetarians carry out cleansing taking into account the following features:

• laxatives should not be used. Taking drugs or foods that cause diarrhea stresses the body;
• it is necessary to adhere to gentle bowel movements;
• cleaning the gastrointestinal tract must be done with water;
• It is necessary to drink warm liquid in slow sips until it feels like the water has reached the throat;
• it is necessary to move the contents by tensing and relaxing individual parts of the gastrointestinal tract;
• when the water concentrates in the abdominal area, remove it;
• For the first time, it is better to practice cleansing with a mentor;

Cleansing the intestinal tract improves overall well-being, removes toxins, and normalizes digestion. A cleansed body better absorbs nutrients from plant foods.

Causes of low hemoglobin in vegetarians

Low hemoglobin are usually associated with insufficient iron intake in the body.

The reasons may be:

• unbalanced diet, i.e. eating iron-poor foods;
• increased iron consumption, for example: during pregnancy or with frequent blood loss (injuries, peptic ulcers, cycle disorders in women, hemorrhoids, etc.);
• poor absorption of iron in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys;
• disorders of the hematopoietic process and/or insufficient production of erythropoietin;
• lack of B vitamins, folic acid and others.

Vegans are at risk for low iron levels .

Vegetarians eat eggs and dairy products and thus get enough iron from animal fats in their diet. Vegans who have completely abandoned them should think through their diet more carefully and add special vegetarian supplements and vitamins .

Possible harms of vegetarianism

An analysis of research has shown that a properly planned vegetarian diet is beneficial to health, meets the body's nutritional needs and can be effective in preventing and treating certain diseases. However, restrictions on the consumption of certain foods can lead to consequences:

• A decrease in the concentration of iron in the blood serum, which indicates the possible development of iron deficiency anemia.
• Zinc deficiency. Vegetarians are often considered at risk for zinc deficiency. Grains, seeds and legumes contain phytates (a substance that reduces the availability of nutrients in the diet). They “bind” zinc and thereby reduce its bioavailability.

• Vitamin D deficiency: According to the EPIC study
• Oxford, vegans and vegetarians had the lowest average vitamin D intake (0.88 mcg/day compared to the adult norm of 15 mcg/day). Vitamin D affects the renewal of bone tissue. When calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium from food and supplements are not absorbed to maintain proper levels in the blood, the body begins to release calcium from the bones into the blood. Simply put, the body begins to sacrifice bones (read more in the article “Vitamin D deficiency: norms and symptoms”).
• Calcium deficiency. Due to a lack of vitamin D, vegetarians may experience calcium deficiency and impaired calcium-phosphorus metabolism. People who have been on a vegetarian diet for a long time may also have reduced levels of protein metabolism.
• Depression. Australian researchers have found that vegetarians are less optimistic about the future than meat eaters. Moreover, they were 18% more likely to report depression, and 28% were more likely to suffer from panic attacks and anxiety. A separate study in Germany found that vegetarians were 15% more likely to experience depression and twice as likely to suffer from anxiety disorders.

Foods that increase hemoglobin

Iron is not only found in animal products. in the plant world that help maintain normal iron levels.

There are two types of iron that can be obtained from food: heme and non-heme .

Heme iron is found in meat and animal by-products. About 30% of hemoglobin is absorbed from it.

Non-heme – part of plant foods (cereals, legumes, nuts). Only 5% is absorbed.

In addition, non-heme iron can be two or three valent. In humans, it is divalent and therefore is well absorbed by the body; in plant foods , it is mainly ferric iron, and therefore is absorbed somewhat less well.

For better absorption of plant iron (especially for vegetarians), it is important to add protagonists (foods that improve iron absorption) to the diet:

1. Nuts, legumes (especially lentils), grains, green fruits and vegetables. They contain copper, zinc, manganese and cobalt, B vitamins (including folic acid - B9), vitamin C;
2. All types of cabbage, onions and garlic contain sulfur;
3. Spicy herbs, seasonings, ginseng are rich in essential oils and organic acids;
4. Green vegetables and algae contain chlorophyll, which is very similar in composition to hemoglobin.

Reference!

Don’t forget about eating persimmons, dogwoods, pomegranates, apples and plums - they are high in iron.

Eat dark chocolate. It contains a lot of iron, it increases hemoglobin and improves mood

You need to know that in addition to protagonist products, there are also inhibitor that prevent the full absorption of iron:

• Caffeine (high content in coffee, tea, various energy drinks);
• Tannin (in tea);
• Phytin (in yeast dough);
• Calcium (in dairy products).

It is important to take this into account and, to improve iron absorption, avoid their simultaneous use.

Ayurvedic preparations

Vegetarians are followers of Eastern practices. The Indian system of traditional medicine recommends improving blood composition and increasing hemoglobin by including natural foods in the diet.

Ayurvedic diet for low hemoglobin:

• eat beets every day in any form and drink beet juice;
• regularly for 1 month eat 12 black currants, which were soaked for 12 hours in water;
• include almonds, bananas, dates, pomegranates in the menu;
• cook all dishes with the addition of carrots. Use at least 1 root vegetable for each recipe;
• drink fresh apple juice before meals.

Ayurveda prohibits people suffering from anemia from drinking tea or coffee immediately after eating. Indian medicine recommends replacing drinks with herbal infusions.

How to increase hemoglobin: examples and recipes.

Here are some popular, proven recipes for raising hemoglobin for a vegetarian:

• Mix a tablespoon of sprouted wheat with a tablespoon of dried fruit, preferably raisins. Drink in the morning on an empty stomach *;
• Add the juice of half a lemon and one teaspoon of honey to the rosehip infusion. Take on an empty stomach. The product is also useful for the prevention of colds;
• Drink two parts of carrot juice and one part of apple and beet juice twice a day before meals, freshly prepared.*;
• A mixture of honey, cranberries and walnuts. Take a tablespoon throughout the day *;
• Mix a glass of buckwheat (grind in a coffee grinder) with a glass of walnuts and honey. Take a tablespoon several times a day *;
• Pour a tablespoon of chopped celery leaves into two cups of boiling water, leave for 30 minutes, strain, take half a cup of the decoction before meals.*;
• Salad of cabbage leaves, dandelion, bell pepper and spinach. You can add sesame *;
• Pour two tablespoons of oats into two glasses of water and boil until swelling. Strain, squeeze, add the yolk, one tablespoon of ground almonds, one tablespoon of honey and two tablespoons of ground rose hips. Take one tablespoon before meals;
• Dissolve 50 grams of chopped chocolate in 100 ml of hot milk, cool and add three tablespoons of ice cream;
• Drink rosehip infusion (50 g per liter of water) instead of tea every day.*;
• An excellent remedy for anemia is Hemobin. It is a unique source of natural heme iron. The only iron-containing product in the world that does not have; contraindications and side effects.
• You can also increase hemoglobin with the following drugs: sorbifer durules, ferrogradumet and fenuls. There are contraindications. Should be taken under medical supervision.

with an asterisk ( * ) recipes that are suitable for vegans .

Vegetarians and pregnancy

During the period of bearing a child, a pregnant woman is a source of building material for the embryo's body. A lack of any elements is fraught with the development of congenital pathologies and a high risk of miscarriage. Animal foods, fermented milk products, eggs supply the protein necessary for the formation of fetal cells and iron, required for the circulatory system and oxygen transfer.

A pregnant vegetarian needs to approach her diet wisely and decide whether it is worth putting her body and the health of her future offspring at risk. If you decide to maintain your lifestyle, you should adhere to the following recommendations:

• At your appointment with the supervising doctor, be sure to inform him about your diet and your non-acceptance of meat, dairy foods, and eggs;
• Be monitored regularly at a medical facility. Take medications prescribed by your doctor;
• Competently plan your diet for every day. A vegetarian diet high in sweet foods, grains, and oriental spices will help raise hemoglobin;
• enrich your daily menu with spices and herbs such as ginger, cardamom, cumin, fennel, turmeric, legumes, buckwheat;
• eliminate pistachios, peanuts, spicy, sour, bitter foods;
• limit canned products, packaged drinks;
• sleep at least 8 hours a day, rest regularly;
• Spend at least 2 hours outdoors every day;
• after consulting a doctor, do exercises for pregnant women, visit the pool or do yoga (with the exception of some asanas);
• change your place of residence. It has been established that the climate of Russian regions is not suitable for people who prefer vegetarianism. Lack of sunlight, low-quality products, and low temperatures negatively affect the pregnant woman’s body and the full formation of the embryo. For the safe bearing of a child, women who do not consume food of animal origin are suitable for East Asian countries.

Reduced hemoglobin in the blood is often observed during pregnancy and in meat eaters. Vegetarians are even more vulnerable at this time. You need to reconsider your lifestyle or create a balanced diet that saturates the pregnant woman’s body with all the necessary nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.

Iron deficiency in a pregnant woman's body causes oxygen starvation of the body, which is expressed by general weakness, constant drowsiness, fainting, weakness, and pale skin. There is a high risk of miscarriage and the development of congenital abnormalities of the fetus. A vegetarian woman should be monitored by a hematologist throughout her pregnancy.