Foods for Low Platelets

[Magnum]

When the body is subjected to an injury and starts to bleed, colorless sticky substances called platelets form clots to stop the blood. If you have a low platelet count, it is harder for the blood to form clots. There are several foods that you can eat that can help you increase the platelet count in your blood, but you should always see you physician for monitoring of the condition.

Good choices include salmon, tuna, flax seed oil and free-range eggs.

Kale, broccoli and spinach are loaded with antioxidants - spinach to be eliminated for Heppies.

Purchase only organic greens, because garden vegetables that are commercially grown have been known to be loaded with pesticides, which can hurt your fight against low platelets.

All of the dark-colored berries, especially blueberries, contain phytonutrients, which neutralize free radicals within the body. These free radicals are unstable molecules that cause aging and inflammation within the body

Organic vegetables, especially tomatoes, are loaded with antioxidants that help fight against disease. Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is not commonly found in other foods. Tomatoes are often seen as a super food because they are loaded with potassium and vitamin C. They are low in cholesterol, sodium, low in calories, are a fat-free food and are extremely high in water content.

http://www.ehow.com/list_5779694_foods-low-platelets.html

Magnum

[HectorSF]

Poor Popeye!

;-)
Hector

[Magnum]

Spinach has a high iron content and is hard on the liver...

M

[grizwald]

"spinach to be eliminated for Heppies"

I'm not sure I understand that.  Do you mean, don't eat spinach if you have hep c?

Thank You for the post, just thought I'd ask.

Griz

[HectorSF]

I would just like to add...

Anyone with a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), should be under the care of a physician. If the cause is due to hepatitis and advanced liver disease they should be seeing a hepatologist.

What causes a low platelet count in advanced liver disease...

"Blood flows from the spleen..... through the portal vein.... then through the liver.

Scar tissue in the liver (cirrhosis) can interfere with that blood flow...... causing pressure to build up in the portal vein (portal hypertension), and the spleen to enlarge (splenomegaly).

As the spleen enlarges, it traps platelets. (The amount of platelets in the bloodstream is reduced. The spleen is busy trapping them.)

So usually--- people with cirrhosis end up having a problem with portal hypertension and an enlarged spleen, and a reduced platelet count in the bloodstream.

As time goes by, the liver may try to repair itself by growing new cells.
IF (IF) there is alot of scar tissue already present--- the new cells grow between scar tissue (and result in abnormal nodules).
(The nodules and scar tissue can further interfere with blood flow through the liver.) :-(

So over time-- people with advanced cirrhosis can end up having a problem with more and more abnormal nodules and scar tissue forming..... which interferes even more with blood flow through the liver.....
which makes the spleen continue to enlarge....
and the platelet count continue to drop."
thanks IM

Hectorsf