Aishwarya Iyer
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Written By: Aishwarya Iyer | Updated : August 3, 2018 2:47 PM IST
Platelets are the first line of defence in the patients with malaria, thereby killing up to 60 per cent of malarial parasites that are circulating in the bloodstream. A study now has supported this further. A doctoral student as well as the lead researcher Steven Kho from Menzies School of Health Research, an Australian non-profit organization, said, "These are important findings and are the first direct evidence of protection by platelets in any human infectious disease. We found that platelets may kill around 20 per cent of circulating Plasmodium parasites in clinical malaria, and in P. vivax this may be as high as 60 per cent." This study is published in the journal Blood.
Given these facts, it is important to revisit the questions that we have already been asking for long now. What are the ways to up your platelet count naturally? Eating right is your answer.
3 foods that increase platelet count
Any food item that is high in certain vitamins and minerals can help your body to make and maintain platelets in your blood. It is rather common to consume supplements to fulfil the nutrient dosage, however, having foods in their raw form may be of better help. Here are some foods that can help:
1) Vitamin B-12: Deficiency of vitamin B-12 is associated with low platelet count. Some good sources of vitamin B-12 include eggs, cheese, yogurt, beef liver etc.
2) Folate: Folate is nothing but Vitamin B that helps all your cells- including the blood cells. Some good food sources include peanuts, oranges, black-eyed peas, kidney beans etc.
3) Iron: Your body needs to have enough iron in order to produce healthy blood cells. Moreover, it helps in the production of haemoglobin, which is a substance in the red blood cells (RBCs) that is instrumental in carrying oxygen from your lungs to the other parts of the body. Some food sources of iron are jaggery, lentils, beef, pumpkin seeds etc.
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