When you think of blood cells you probably think of the colors red and white correct? These are the two blood cells in the human body that carry out many functions to keep you healthy and alive. If your red blood cells or white blood cells are damaged by chemicals or irregular functions your whole body suffers simply because red and white blood cells play a role in your entire body from head to toe. White blood cells are very important but today we’re focused in on red blood cells.
Red blood cells play an extremely important role for your entire body. They carry oxygen throughout the body. When you inhale the oxygen enters your lungs and then into the blood stream. As it enters the bloodstream it’s the job of your red blood cells to carry this oxygen throughout your entire body. Oxygen is the most important nutrient your body needs to survive. You can go days without food and water but can only survive a few minutes without oxygen.
Oxygen plays an important role in cellular health by helping support cell metabolism as well as cellular respiration. The function of your brain, cardiovascular system and digestion (metabolism) as well as all other organs in the body need oxygen. To prevent cancer it’s crucial for the body’s red blood cells to be healthy to convert the oxygen in the lungs to what’s known as hemoglobin. Hemoglobin is a protein inside the red blood cell that carries the oxygen from the lungs throughout the entire body. If your red blood cells are not healthy your body cannot convert and transport oxygen from the lungs to the body.
Not only that but hemoglobin in red blood cells is also responsible for removing carbion dioxide (a waste gas) through the lungs when you breathe out. If your body builds up too much carbon dioxide in the blood (caused from weakened and incapable red blood cells) your body will develop respiratory health conditions including respiratory failure and acidosis. Acidosis occurs when the body becomes too acidic. When you’re too acidic anything in your body can be negatively effected, and I do mean anything.
What Makes Red Blood Cells So Important?
1. Carries Oxygen To Your Entire Body
2. Keeps The Lungs Healthy
3. Keeps Your pH (alkaline/acid) Balanced
4. Important For Brain Function (ever needed fresh air to think? outdoor air is much less polluted than indoor air.)
5. Important For All Cardiovascular Function
6. Important For Digestive Health (Metabolism)
7. Healthy Red Blood Cells Prevent Cancer & Respiratory Failure
8. Red Blood Cells Transport Oxygen To Your Muscles
As you can see, red blood cells are extremely important for your entire body to function optimally as well as to prevent diseases or unfriendly health conditions. If you want to be in a state of peak health and feel great your body needs the red blood cells to carry oxygen to where it needs to be. So what can you do about it? how can you keep your red blood cells healthy and active?
Red blood cells die every 120 days or so and then you start anew, during their life though there are specific nutritional steps that you can take to ensure that your red blood cells stay healthy and active and do their best job transporting oxygen to the body.
5 Ways To Boost Red Blood Cell Health
1. Consume Iron Rich Foods: Iron is one of the most important for maintaining healthy red blood cells. If you are deficient in Iron your red blood cells suffer. Iron rich foods include dark leafy green vegetables, raisins, apricots, peas, beans and other foods. Do a google search to find more!
2. Eat More Vitamin E: Vitamin E rich foods are dark green vegetables, mango, avocado, nuts and seeds. Vitamin e is needed for healthy red blood cells.
3. Eat More Vitamin B2: Almonds, mushrooms and sesame seeds are rich in vitamin b2. Your blood needs B2 to be healthy!
4. Eat More Vitamin B3: Peanuts, mushrooms, green peas, sunflower seeds and avocado are some of the richest vitamin B3 foods on the planet.
5. Eat More Vitamin B12: If you do a google search for the top 10 food sources of vitamin B12 they are all meat or dairy based, such as meat, eggs, milk and cheese. If you prefer to not have animal products you can still get an effective B12 supplement on amazon that you spray under your tongue from Dr. Mercola. I use it myself and love it. Click here to get that supplement.
Notice that avocado and green peas both contain two of the nutrients needed for healthy red blood cells so these are the top two red blood cell health foods. Make sure to get these in your diet!
By including more Iron, Vitamins E, B2, B3 and B12 in your diet you’re effectively taking a great nutritional step to help keep your red blood cells healthy to do their job best and to thrive. If you’re deficient in any of these nutrients and already know it make it a point to include these foods in your diet or to supplement with them.
Image: Flickr
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