Top Foods for Increasing Oxygen in the Blood

Whether you are working at your desk in the office or enduring through intense workouts, you need oxygen to function. If you are low in oxygen, you will not have the requisite energy to accomplish your tasks. And, you will feel tired, lose your breath quickly during exercise and develop a rapid heart rate. Simply going for a specific diet would not solve the problem as your diet might not contain the essential nutrients. It is recommended you consult a doctor if you think you are suffering from low level of oxygen. Your physician would be able to identify the cause and recommend effective diet for getting your oxygen levels back to normal.

Meat and Fish

Low iron levels is the primary nutritional cause of low blood oxygen and is considered as the most common as per Stanford Blood Center. Your red blood cells are full of iron, which is found in a protein called hemoglobin. This iron binds to oxygen from the air you breathe transporting it to all your cells and tissues and releases it so that your cells and tissues can use it. According to the Harvard Medical School, low iron level reduces the amount of oxygen in your blood. You need between 8 and 18 milligrams of iron daily to avoid any deficiency of oxygen. Iron is mainly found fish, meat, chicken, etc.

Plant Sources of Iron

You can also increase your levels of blood iron through foods like cashew nuts, medium baked potato, kidney beans, lentils, etc. However, iron contained in these foods called non-heme iron is different from meat and is not easily absorbed. For boosting iron absorption, you can take them foods that contain vitamin C such as citrus fruits and vegetables.

Foods with high folate or vitamin B-12

Eating a diet comprising of folate or vitamin B-12 can also increase your blood oxygen levels. Folate (vitamin B-9) helps your body in making red blood cells-the iron rich cells that carry oxygen in your blood. Vitamin B-12 helps your body in making hemoglobin, the protein that has oxygen carrying iron. Folate is found in citrus fruits and leafy vegetables. It is also found in meat, fish and shellfish.

Increasing blood oxygen through other nutrients

There are other nutrients as well that can enhance the level of blood and iron in your body and by extension, the level of your blood.

A few other nutrients can influence the level of red blood cells and iron in your blood — and, by extension, the level of oxygen. For example, protein provides amino acids your body uses to make cellular proteins — including oxygen-transporting hemoglobin. Meat, fish, shellfish, eggs and dairy all offer oxygen-boosting protein, as do nuts, seeds, beans and legumes.

You also need vitamin A to make oxygen-carrying red blood cells. Your body constantly pumps out new red blood cells to replace old, damaged ones, and it needs vitamin A for healthy red blood cell development. If you’re deficient in vitamin A, getting more of it can boost your blood hemoglobin levels, so that your blood cells can carry more oxygen. Chow down on dairy products, red and orange produce — sweet potatoes, cantaloupe, mangoes, pumpkin and butternut squash — and leafy greens like collards and kale, to get more vitamin A.