How to Increase WBC Count Naturally
In this article you will learn how to increase WBC count naturally home remedy or rather say, how to increase White Blood Cells quickly. A healthy human adult has about 35 trillion cells in their body. While it’s true that our blood contains more red cells than white, white blood cells (WBC) are still just as vital and necessary to our wellness.
At Newfasthealth, our mission is to improve the quality of midlife. That means bringing together all the tools, information, and resources you need to live your peak life. Read on to find out the best way to naturally increase your white blood cell count and power up your immune system.
What Do White Blood Cells Do?
White blood cells, also referred to as “WBCs” or “leukocytes,” help our bodies fight off infection and illness. Their main function is to act as our body’s first line of defense, also signaling other immune cells to come to where they are in the body and fight against foreign invaders.
Factors like inflammation or even a cut on our arm cause our white blood cells to jump into action and protect us so our tissue can heal. They’re another small but mighty part of the body, as they only make up 1% of our blood.
Another amazing function of our WBCs is that they help protect us by giving us antibodies. They’re programmed from the beginning to identify foreign objects in the body, and because they’re designed to protect us, they make sure our bodies are equipped to fight off any germs should they return.
Types of White Blood Cells
How many different types of white blood cells are there? If you took a peek under a microscope, you’d see that our white blood cells aren’t really “white,” but clear. Our WBCs are created via stem cells in our bone marrow and stored until an infection occurs when our immune system deploys them.
But did you know not all white blood cells are created equal? There are five different types of WBCs in our bodies, and they can be grouped into three different categories:
1. Granulocytes
Granulocytes earned their name because they contain small protein granules necessary to our body’s function.
- Neutrophils: Neutrophils are the majority of the types of WBCs you’ll find in your blood. They’re the “scavengers” of the white blood cells; they work to hunt down various bacteria and fungi and eliminate them before they can attack.
- Eosinophils: We owe our general immune response to these WBCs. They are disease-fighting cells, tackling things like parasites, allergic reactions, and other disease-causing pathogens.
- Basophils: Basophils are rare (they make up less than 1% of our overall WBC count), but you can thank them for helping our bodies respond to allergic reactions. You’ll find more of them present in your blood when you’ve been exposed to something you’re sensitive to.
2. Lymphocytes
- B cells: Lymphocytes are “helper” or “soldier” cells, meaning they assist the granulocytes with their respective jobs (mostly to help us heal and recover). B cells produce antibodies to boost our immune system’s response to infection.
- T cells: T cells help recognize and kill infectious cells, making them our B cells’ best friend. And T cells are also instrumental in vaccine efficacy, as they help create “memory” T cells that will recognize when a certain pathogen has returned. It then signals to our immune system that it’s fought this thing before, making it easier and faster for us to recover.
- Natural killer cells: These WBCs do some intense heavy lifting. They’re responsible for targeting and killing viral cells, especially cancerous ones.
3. Monocytes
Monocytes are one of a kind (pun intended). They make up around 5% of your white blood cells, and their primary function is to stave off chronic infections and destroy any infectious cells they find.
How to Increase White Blood Cells
How do I naturally increase my white blood cells? Below are a few ways you can help your body increase its white blood cell count:
Diet
Eating a balanced diet that’s rich in nutrients can help keep those all-important WBCs in check.
As we know, our white blood cells thrive when our immune system does. Eating a diet that’s rich in protein, powerful antioxidants, and vitamins will help your body naturally fight off infectious bacteria and keep that blood cell count where it should be.
How to increase white blood cells with food
Some great foods to incorporate into your diet to help out your WBCs are:
- Lean proteins (like chicken and turkey)
- Salmon (high in omega-3 fatty acids)
- Bell peppers and carrots
- Papaya, berries, pineapples, and kiwi
- Salad greens (like spinach and kale)
Natural boosters
Natural boosters like vitamin C (which can be found in many citrus fruits like oranges and lemons) are another great addition to your daily routine. You may know just how crucial this essential vitamin is for our immune system, but how exactly does it work?
Now that you know all about the different types of WBCs in our blood, here’s the science behind vitamin C: when we ingest vitamin C, two types of white blood cells known as neutrophils and monocytes work to accumulate and store it for future use.
Through a complex cell signaling system, our WBCs can support our immune system with our vitamin C stores by protecting vital components of the cell’s structure.
Of course, another great way to keep your immune system strong is by good old-fashioned handwashing. (Yes, with warm water and soap, too!) This will kill bacteria and viruses before they get anywhere near entering your body.
Vitamins
Vitamin C isn’t the only essential nutrient you need to keep your white blood cells flourishing and prevent a low white blood cell count. Your cells need vitamin E to communicate with one another and act out their essential functions. It also widens blood vessels to help prevent blood clots.
Here are just a few ways you can incorporate more vitamin E into your diet:
- Almonds
- Green vegetables like spinach and broccoli
- Vegetable oils (primarily sunflower oil)
Omega 3s help regulate our immune system and have soothing properties. This is where all the delicious salmon comes in handy — not only is it good for us, it helps create omega-3 fatty acids that we can’t produce ourselves.
To ensure you’re getting enough omega 3s in your diet, try adding some walnuts, other fatty fish like mackerel or herring, and even chia seeds.
What are the Symptoms of Low Blood Counts?
The symptoms of bone marrow failure diseases like aplastic anemia, MDS and PNH are caused by low blood counts. The specific symptoms depend on which type of blood cell is affected. Read the section below to see the symptoms for each type of cell.
You may have many of these symptoms or just one or two of them. And you may get a new symptom at any point in the course of your illness.
Low Red Blood Cell Count
A low red blood cell count is called anemia. If you have a low red blood cell count, you may:
- Feel a little tired or very tired.
- Feel less alert or have trouble concentrating.
- Have a loss of appetite or lose weight.
- Have paler-than-normal skin.
- Experience trouble breathing.
- Have rapid heartbeat.
- Have reduced ability to exercise or climb stairs.
Low White Blood Cell Count
Symptoms of low white blood cells. A low white blood cell count is called neutropenia. If you have a low white blood cell count, you may:
- Have repeated fevers and infections.
- Get bladder infections that may make it painful to pass urine, or make you urinate more often.
- Get lung infections that cause coughing and difficulty breathing.
- Have mouth sores.
- Get sinus infections and a stuffy nose.
- Get skin infections.
Low Platelet Count
A low platelet count is called thrombocytopenia. If you have a low platelet count, you may:
- Bruise or bleed more easily – even from minor scrapes and bumps.
- Get heavy menstrual periods.
- Have nose bleeds.
- Get tiny, flat red spots under your skin, which are caused by bleeding. These spots are called petechiae.
- Have bleeding gums, especially after dental work or from brushing your teeth. Check with your doctor before getting any dental work.
FAQ
What happen if white blood cells are high?
White blood cells are an important and necessary part of your immune system. Produced in your bone marrow, they defend your body against infections and disease. But, when there are too many white blood cells, it usually means you have infection or inflammation in your body. Less commonly, a high white blood cell count could indicate certain blood cancers or bone marrow disorders.
What causes white blood cells to be high?
Disorders related to having a high white blood count include: Autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, conditions that cause the immune system to attack healthy tissues. Bacterial or viral infections. Cancers such as leukemia and Hodgkin disease.
Should I worry if my white blood cell count is high?
On its own, leukocytosis is usually not harmful. An abnormally raised white blood cell count is not a disease condition, but can point to another underlying cause such as infection, cancer or autoimmune disorders. An abnormally high white blood cell count should always be considered for its possible causes.
What are the symptoms of very high white blood cells?
A high white blood cell count alone doesn’t cause any symptoms. The symptoms you feel may come from the medical problem that your white blood cells are fighting. For example, if you have pneumonia, you may have a fever and trouble breathing. These are symptoms of pneumonia, not of a high white blood cell count.
What causes low white blood cell count?
Low WBC counts are often linked to bone marrow problems. Being around certain chemicals, like benzene and pesticides, as well as some types of cancer and cancer treatments including chemotherapy and radiation, can hurt your bone marrow’s ability to make WBCs.
What is the most common reason for low white blood cell count? Common causes include: cancer treatment, like radiotherapy. antipsychotic medicines. medicine for an overactive thyroid.
What does low white blood cell count mean?
Leukopenia (low white blood cell count) happens when you have a lower-than-normal number of white blood cells. Specifically, you have fewer neutrophils than normal. Neutrophils are white blood cells that act as your immune system’s first line of defense. Without enough white blood cells, you’re more vulnerable to developing infections.
What is a dangerous low white blood cell count?
In general, an adult who has fewer than 1,000 neutrophils in a microliter of blood has neutropenia. If the neutrophil count is very low, fewer than 500 neutrophils in a microliter of blood, it is called severe neutropenia.
Bottom line
Our bodies can truly do amazing things, but we may start to notice ourselves slowing down as we age. White blood cells protect our bodies against viruses and infections. White blood cells prevent the loss of blood by causing clotting. We can naturally increase our white blood cell count through our diet, making sure we’re getting plenty of necessary vitamins, and through clinician-grade nutraceuticals.
This article above expounds some of the things you need to know about how to increase WBC count naturally home remedy or rather say, how to increase White Blood Cells quickly.
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