What Are Some Blood Healthy Foods?

There are ways to avoid a trip to your doctor’s office, blood testing labs, or sti testing centers in California for example but, one way that will help keep you healthy and allow you to steer clear of such places is food. Food sources rich in folic acid, iron or Vitamin B-12 are known as blood builders. The term blood building foods refer to foods that promote the formation of new blood cells. The term is often utilized in traditional Chinese medicine and alternative medicine.

Nutritional Supplements:

Folic acid, iron and Vitamin B-12 may be obtained through nutritional supplements available at most pharmacies. Vitamin B-12 is required for proper red blood cell formation. Iron is required to carry oxygen to the blood cells. Folic acid is necessary for both red and white blood cells.

Beneficial Food Sources:

Black Strap Molasses - The sugar cane plant grows deep into the soil absorbing minerals never reached by other plants. Refined sugar, which is not good for the body is produced from the sugar cane
plant along with black strap molasses. One tablespoon of black strap molasses meets the recommended
daily requirement of iron.

Fruits and Vegetables – Dark grapes, grape juice, raisins, apricots, figs, cherries, peaches, prunes, dates, berries, bananas and even apples are all considered blood building foods. Blood building vegetables include asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, celery, cucumbers, kale, kidney beans, leeks, parsley, watercress and wheatgrass. A person is not likely to overdose on too much iron from fruit and vegetable sources due to the body's ability to regulate it. Many fruits and vegetables are high in Vitamin C, which improves the absorption of iron into the body.

Herbs – Alfalfa, cardamon, ginger and licorice are all herbs that contain blood building nutrients. Folic acid and iron are both found in alfalfa sprouts. Cardamon is native to India and Southeast Asia. The aromatic spice is often utilized to flavor many foods. Ginger is an herb root that may be utilized fresh or dried to flavor foods, but must be added at the last minute of cooking to avoid evaporation of essential oils. Licorice has been used for centuries in Chinese medicine and is rich in Vitamin B-12.

Meats – Physicians may prescribe a diet rich in iron for some patients. Beef or calf liver is extremely rich in iron. However, duck, goose and lamb are all exceptional blood building food sources. Some seafood such as oysters are high in iron.

Foods to Avoid:

Some foods are believed to challenge the liver and contain very little nutritional value. To promote the production of healthy new blood cells it is best to avoid foods that may actually deprive the body of nutrients. These foods include alcohol, coffee and refined sugar.

Darcy Fonner works for a blood testing lab in California. When she is not blogging about helpful health issues she enjoys surfing and spending time on the beach.