Foods for Low White Blood Cell Count

Low white blood cell count, or leucopenia, is a depletion of the white disease-fighting blood cells in the blood stream. It is defined as having fewer than 3,500 white blood cells per microliter of blood, though this amount varies depending on age and sex. There are different types of white blood cells, with a deficiency usually only occurring in one type. Symptoms may lead to a weakened immune system and other symptoms, including abscessed teeth, aching muscles, abnormal hair growth and abdominal pain. You can prevent leucopenia by fortifying your immune system with a healthy diet.

Yogurt

Yogurt is a great food for boosting the immune system because it contains live bacteria known as probiotics. There are hundreds of different types of bacteria living within the gastrointestinal tract. While many of them help your digestive processes and keep the immune system functioning, some of them are pathogenic and can lead to disorders of the digestion and immune system. The live bacteria in yogurt can help to rebalance the bacteria in your GI tract so that the beneficial bacteria are not overwhelmed by the damaging ones.

Garlic

Garlic is another great immuno-booster. Its beneficial qualities come from its sulfur-containing compounds, in particular one called allicin. Allicin has anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties, which make it great for protecting the immune system. It also helps to stimulate specific immune cells, such as T-cells and macrophages, and stimulates the white cells to fight infection. If you are not a fan of the taste of garlic, it can be taken in the form of odorless capsules.

Red Bell Peppers

Red bell peppers are sweet, juicy and delicious, but not only that they can also give your immune system a boost. This is because they are rich in Vitamin C. Vitamin C is a powerful antioxidant and helps the immune system fight off disease. It also helps white blood cells fight invading pathogens and combat tumor cells. Red bell peppers also contain beta-carotene, the substance that your body needs to produce Vitamin A, which also boosts the production of white blood cells.

Green Tea

Green tea is rich in chemicals know as alkylamines, which help to build the immune system. These chemicals are also present in fungi and some cancerous cells. Green tea can help the body prevent illness by enabling the disease-fighting immune cells to recognize damaging alkylamines and fight them when necessary.

Pumpkins

Pumpkins are not just for Halloween. They are a rich source of Vitamin A, which helps proteins in the body that regulate communication between cells and lay a strong foundation for the immune system. This can help reduce the risk of cancer because one of the may causes of the development of cancer cells in the breakdown of cell-to-cell communication.

Ginger

Ginger is a great food for boosting the immune system. It has a host of beneficial properties, including the ability to inhibit the growth of ovarian and breast cancer cells, killing bacteria, preventing the cold virus, reducing the risk of lung cancer, killing parasites and boosting the white blood cell's defensive abilities.