Optimizing Blood Health: Sugar Levels, Platelets, and Flow

Healthy blood requires a balance of iron, oxygen, and regulated sugar levels. Learn how diet, stress, and exercise influence your white blood cell count, platelet levels, and overall circulatory health.

smiling woman drinking red wine at restaurant

Blood Type O and Wine

Although proponents of the blood type diet say type O individuals will be healthier, leaner and more energetic by following the type O guidelines, health professionals criticize the plan for not being grounded in scientific evidence.

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Fresh salmon on the cutting board.

Diet to Raise a Chemo Patient's Blood Count

During chemotherapy, your total blood count may drop as a side effect of treatment. Anemia, or a significantly decreased number of red blood cells, can be alleviated by following a balanced diet that emphasizes protein and certain vitamins and minerals.

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How to Get Protein Levels Up for Plasma Donations

Plasma is a component of blood that some medical procedures require. When donating plasma, a technician draws blood with a needle. A specialized machine then separates the red blood cells and plasma and returns the blood to you. The body often replaces donated plasma within 24 to 48 hours.

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G6PD Deficiency Diet

G6PD deficiency occurs when your body does not produce adequate amounts of glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, an enzyme that assists proper red blood cell function. This inherited condition affects about 400 million people worldwide, according to the Deployment Health and Family Readiness Library.

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Exercise & Low Platelet Count

A low platelet count, technically known as thrombocytopenia, occurs when the blood loses platelets faster than the bone marrow replaces them.

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Man reading manual for blood test kit

Normal Blood Sugar Range After Meals

In prediabetes and diabetes, blood sugars need to be kept as close to a normal range as possible. Monitoring your own blood sugar is the only way to tell if you are keeping your day-to-day readings -- both before and after meals -- within an acceptable range.

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Man having blood collecting in hospital

Foods to Avoid Before Having a Blood Test

Recent food intake does not influence the results of most blood tests, so advance preparation is usually not needed. However some blood tests require that you avoid all foods and liquids, except for water, for up to 12 hours before the test.

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What Is Normal Blood Sugar in People Over 60?

Blood sugar tests are used to screen for and to monitor prediabetes and diabetes. Normal ranges for laboratory tests are the same for adults of all ages. However, recommended targets for home testing will sometimes be different for older adults.

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Norepinephrine Versus Epinephrine

Epinephrine and norepinephrine are closely related substances but there are important differences in their structure, production sites, functions and medical uses.

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Infant Blood Sugar Levels

Infant Blood Sugar Levels

Infant blood sugar levels normally fluctuate in the hours to days after birth before stabilizing, typically by the end of the first week after delivery.

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Signs and Symptoms of Spleen Problems

Spleen enlargement and injuries are the most common conditions affecting the organ. Signs and symptoms vary along with the severity of the spleen problem.

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Signs & Symptoms of Low Calcium in the Blood

Calcium is vital for cells to function properly, and to strengthen bones and teeth. Hypocalcemia describes the condition of too-low blood calcium; it most often results when the body loses too much calcium through urine, or when the bones are not moving enough to the blood.

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Light Red Blood Streaks in Phlegm

Phlegm, or sputum, is produced when the lungs are inflamed and excess mucous is produced in the respiratory tract. The medical term for blood in the sputum is hemoptysis.

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Venipuncture Methods

Venipuncture is the process of piercing a vein with a needle to withdraw blood or start an intravenous line for giving medications. Venipuncture is often performed so blood can be tested for a variety of medical reasons and conditions.

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Hispanic woman in hospital with newborn baby

The Increase of White Blood Cells in Newborns

White blood cells (WBCs) are a type of body cell found in the bloodstream that help fight infection. According to MedlinePlus, WBCs are also called leukocytes and the normal amount found in the bloodstream of a newborn infant is between 4,500 and 10,000 per microliter of blood.

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parasite  hook clip worm

Types of Parasitic Nematodes

Nematodes are small worms found in water, soil, plants and animals, and there are roughly 10,000 known species throughout the world. While some nematodes are free-living, others are parasitic and need other organisms (called hosts) to keep themselves alive.

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