Diet gun

Blood is made up of different types of cells, including white blood cells, or leukocytes.

White blood cells are a key part of the immune system, helping to fight disease and infection.

Our bodies rely on their immune system to fight off invaders called antigens, which include bacteria, viruses, and allergens. White blood cells attack these harmful organisms, allowing the body to stay healthy.

Leukopenia means a low white blood cell count. White blood cells are produced in the bone marrow, like all blood-forming cells.

There are different types of leukopenia, depending on the type of white blood cell in the blood, with low levels of lymphocytes, basophils, eosinophils, monocytes, and neutrophils.

Leukopenia is usually caused by congenital disorders that include decreased bone marrow function, viral infections, autoimmune disorders (e.g. rheumatoid arthritis), serious infections that consume white blood cells faster than they can be produced, cancer, leukemia, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, aplastic anemia, lupus erythematosus, splenic hyperplasia, AIDS, tuberculosis, vitamin deficiencies such as B12 and folic acid, medications (such as antibiotics, which destroy white blood cells).

Proper nutrition is important for maintaining our immune system. By taking in the necessary vitamins and minerals that increase the production and strength of white blood cells, we give our immune system the strength it needs to fight infections.


The following foods will help increase your white blood cell count to a healthy level.

Lean Protein

Cancer patients should include good quality protein in their diet, because our bodies need protein to produce new white blood cells.

Lean meats, fish, eggs, seafood, and skinless poultry contain high amounts of protein. Plant sources of good protein include beans, lentils, chickpeas, and soybeans.

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables help increase the production of antibodies and white blood cells because they are rich in vitamin C and vitamin A (beta carotene). We should consume at least 5 servings of vegetables and fruits per day to ensure adequate intake of these vitamins.

Vegetables with high amounts of vitamin C include peppers, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and spinach.

Fruits rich in vitamin C include kiwi, guava, strawberries, papaya, citrus fruits and cantaloupe.

Beta-carotene helps boost the production of infection-fighting cells.

Vegetables and fruits rich in beta-carotene include carrots, pumpkin, sweet potatoes, apricots and mangoes.

Garlic

Garlic helps increase white blood cell count, it is rich in sulfur which helps boost immunity and white blood cell count.

Nuts and seeds

Foods rich in vitamin E such as nuts and seeds have antioxidant properties that help stimulate the production of killer cells to destroy cancer cells and germs.

The production of B-cells which help with immunity is also increased by vitamin E. Foods like almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, peanut butter, and sunflower seeds contain vitamin E.

Brazil nuts

Brazil nuts are rich in selenium, which is essential for the thyroid and affects our immune system and cell growth.

Higher levels of selenium have been linked to enhanced immune function in infections, infertility, pregnancy, heart disease, and cancer.

Yogurt

Yogurt is rich in probiotics that help fight bad bacteria. It also helps increase white blood cells, stimulating our immune system.

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Dietary omega-3 fatty acids can help increase the body’s production of phagocytes, a type of white blood cell that ¨engulfs¨ harmful invaders. Foods rich in Omega 3 include mackerel, salmon, herring, oysters, sardines, chia seeds, walnuts, and soy.

Vitamins B6, B12 & Folic Acid

Vitamins B6, B12, and folic acid help the body produce white blood cells.

Foods rich in vitamin B6 include sunflower seeds, chicken, turkey, tuna, salmon, avocado, spinach, and chickpeas.

Foods rich in vitamin B12 include dairy products, salmon, tuna, trout, cod, sardines, chicken, mussels, oysters.

Foods rich in folic acid include lentils, beans, chickpeas, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, eggs.

Zinc

Zinc helps the body produce more white blood cells and makes existing white blood cells more active and aggressive.

Foods rich in zinc include turkey, beef, sardines, salmon, oysters, pumpkin seeds, cashews.

Green Tea

Green tea is rich in antioxidants, which help the body fight infections and is rich in flavonoids and epigallocatechin gallate, which increase immune function and fight infections. It also contains the amino acid L-theanine, which increases the production of compounds that fight germs in T-cells.


In neutropenia (also called neutrophilia), we should avoid raw meat (carpaccio), eggs and fish, unwashed fruits and vegetables and unpasteurized foods such as milk, fruit and vegetable juices, beer, as well as unpasteurized honey.