Q: What should one eat to increase the TLC, Hb and platelet counts respectively?

A:The total leukocyte count and the platelet count is not affected by any dietary constituent. A low haemoglobin due to nutritional anaemia (iron, vitamin B12, folic acid) would respond to a diet rich in them. Dietary iron is available in two valency states, Fe 2+ (ferrous) and Fe 3+ (ferric). The majority of ferrous form is found in haeme iron (as haemoglobin & myoglobin in meat and meat products) while most ferric iron is found in non-haeme iron (plant foods like cereals, vegetables, pulses, dried fruits etc.). Haeme iron is readily available and usually 20-30% of it is absorbed from the diet. This can increase upto 40% when an individual is iron deficient. The level of haeme iron absorption is relatively unaffected by other dietary factors. Non-haeme iron, in contrast, is relatively poorly absorbed (usually less than 10% of dietary intake and often under 5%). Its absorption is markedly influenced by an individuals iron status and dietary factors that can either inhibit or enhance it.