Both red blood cells and white blood cells play an important role in overall health and vitality but white blood cells are more responsible for fighting infections, bacteria and warding off disease. The white blood cells are produced in the bone marrow and are used as agents of the immune system to protect the body from anything that may harm it. With modern processed food, plenty of sugar and other poor dietary and lifestyle choices the immune system is weakend and your white blood cell count takes a hit because of this.
3,500-10,000 white blood cells per microliter of blood is considered normal, anything below 3,500 may be at risk with a weakened immunity. Generally speaking most of us could use support nutritionally and cellularly because we lack what our body needs in order to produce everything efficiently and in a timely manner.
Specifically it’s important to know what effects white blood cell count so we can avoid lowering white blood cells in the first place. If that’s the case, we won’t have s much of a need to improve and work to get the blood cell count higher. By removing these obstacles the road to improving white blood cell production will be much easier.
What Causes Low White Blood Cell Count?
1. Drugs:
According to the Mayo Clinic certain medications such as antibiotics and diuretics can lower white blood cell count. It’s no wonder, antibiotics kill all healthy gut flora that keeps immunity strong and healthy.
2. Infections:
Infections such as HIV/Aids, other infectious diseases, autoimmune disorders and anything bacterial or viral in the human body. These can weaken the immune system and consume white blood cells in order to keep you alive. After an infection of any kind rebuilding immunity is extremely important. This also includes parasitic infections.
3. Nutritional Deficiencies:
If you are deficient in certain vitamins or minerals that are needed for the production of white blood cells then immunity and white blood cells suffer. White blood cell count can below simply because of a nutritionally deficient dietary choices.
4. Cancer Treatments:
Cancer treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy kill white blood cells quickly so avoiding strong cancer treatments and opting for a more therapeutic approach is more beneficial for white blood cells.
How Can You Boost White Blood Cell Count?
As you can see, if you’ve ever taken a drug, had any infection or been nutritionally deficient your body suffered by using up valuable white blood cells. By opting for strong invasive cancer treatments you’re choosing to kill more white blood cells, which in actuality are crucial and needed to fight cancer itself, makes no sense right?
There are better choices that can be made in order to increase your white blood cell count over time. Zinc is a crucial mineral for immunity and the production of white blood cells. You may have taken zinc when you feel a cold coming on before. You can get more zinc in your diet from certain foods like spinach, wheat germ and others or in a zinc supplement form here.
Selenium is also a crucial nutrient for white blood cells. The University of Maryland Medical center found that selenium helps to build white blood cells, and it works even better when paired with zinc, so both are equally important minerals and work even better together. You can get more selenium in your diet or in supplement form.
Vitamin B9, otherwise known as folic acid is very important as well. Your body needs folic acid to produce white blood cells. The more folic acid you have available in your body the easier it will be for your body to create white blood cells. Beans, citrus fruits, broccoli, spinach and collard greens are all rich in folic acid.
In 2002 an animal study found that rats fed garlic had quite an increase in their total white blood cell count. Garlic is one of the best immune boosters and white blood cell boosting foods on the planet as well as one of the top longevity foods.
Lastly, eat more vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts, sprouts and organic whole foods. Avoid the white bread and white sugar, these are some of the worst white blood cell and immune attacking foods that you can consume. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water and remember to laugh a lot! Laughter is the best medicine and a strong immune booster!
Recommended Reading: 5 Ways To Boost Red Blood Cells To Alkalize
Image: wikipedia
Recent Comments