Home Remedies for Low Platelet Count (ITP)

What are the types of platelets?

There are three types of cells in the blood, red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets. Platelets, also called thrombocytes, are small pieces of blood cells. These are made in your bone marrow i.e. the sponge-like tissue present in the bones. Platelets also play a major role in blood clotting. Usually, when one of your blood vessels is damaged, you start bleeding. During this your platelets help to close the blood vessel opening and stop the bleeding. Platelets need to be between 150,000 and 450,000 per microliter. Platelets drop below 150,000 can be a cause for concern.  

The body does not make enough platelets in these conditions:

• This happens in the case of aplastic anaemia. This is a disorder in which the bone marrow does not make enough blood cells.
• Cancer in bone marrow

Home remedies to increase platelets

1. Papaya or Papaya Leaves

150 to 200 grams papaya or a handful of papaya leaves

How to use Papaya or Papaya Leaves?

• Peel the papaya and eat it directly.
• Boil papaya leaves in water and drink it.
• You can consume both the extract from papaya leaves and the fruit to increase the platelet count quickly.
• This process can be repeated one to two times a day until the platelet count does not recover.

Papaya extract can help in increasing the reduced platelet count in dengue . The chemical compounds present in papaya leaf extracts such as alkaloids, tannins, antraquinones, cardenolides, steroids, saponins and phenolics are believed to affect various biological processes in the body. In such a situation, it can be said that any one or a combination of these chemical compounds can help in increasing platelets.

2. Pomegranate

A pomegranate fruit

How to use Pomegranate?

• Cut the pomegranate and take out its grains.
• You can consume it as a snack or as a salad.
• You can also squeeze pomegranate seeds, extract its juice and drink it.
• Keep in mind that you should consume it within half an hour of extracting the juice.
• You can include it in your diet daily till the platelet count does not increase.

Pomegranate is rich in many properties like antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. This is the reason why pomegranate also helps in fighting many diseases. According to scientific research, pomegranate prevents platelets from aggregating in one place. With its help, the decrease in your platelet count is removed. Actually, when platelets collect in one place, the platelet count decreases and blood clots are formed.

3. Fish Oil

Fish oil as needed

How to use Fish Oil?

• Drink about two to three grams of fish oil.
• If you do not like its taste, then you can also consume capsules made from fish oil.
• Repeat this process daily until enough platelet count is not created in the body.

Fish oil does not directly help to increase your platelet count, but it does prevent platelets from aggregating. If your platelets are low due to a blood disorder such as thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, this can help prevent blood clotting and protect you from blood clots. This is because fish oil has antithrombotic effects.

4. Pumpkin

Pumpkin as needed for half a glass of juice

How to use Pumpkin?

• Wash and peel the pumpkin first.
• Now make small pieces of pumpkin and grind it finely.
• Now take out half a glass of fresh juice from it.
• One teaspoon of honey can be added to it for taste.
• You can also consume pumpkin by boiling it, adding it to smoothies, soups or other ingredients.
• For maximum benefit, it can be drunk two or three times a day till the platelet count does not recover.

According to a research, platelets have been found to be low in those who consume less vitamin-A. At the same time, pumpkin is rich in vitamin-A, which helps in increasing platelets. In addition, pumpkin seeds also have immunomodulatory effects . In the above article, we have already told you that many times our immune system destroys platelets, so this effect works to control the immune system.

5. Wheatgrass

Wheat Grass as required

How to use Wheatgrass?

• Wash the wheat grass and grind it finely.
• Now squeeze this paste and extract the juice.
• If needed, a few drops of water can be added.
• Drink it after about half a cup of juice is released.
• A few drops of lemon juice can be added to the wheatgrass juice for taste.
• It can be consumed once a day till the platelet count is not correct.

Wheatgrass can also be used to increase the platelets count. Actually, it contains all the nutrients like chlorophyll, folic acid, zinc and vitamins, which help in increasing the platelet count while fulfilling the need of the body. Immunomodulatory effects are those that modify your immune system to suit the needs of the body. That is, if your immune system is reducing your platelets, then wheatgrass can help in controlling it.

6. Vitamin C Rich Foods

Vitamin-C rich foods (oranges, lemons, kiwis) as needed

How to use Vitamin-C rich foods?

• You can consume foods containing Vitamin-C directly after washing them.
• Instead, you can drink it by extracting its juice.
• You can consume them daily till the platelet count increases.

Vitamin-C-rich foods can also improve the count by eliminating the cause of low platelet count. Actually, the intake of vitamin-C can give you thromboatherosclerotic i.e. a disorder in which your arteries

7. Green Leafy Vegetables

Green leafy vegetables (spinach, fenugreek leaves and others) as required

How to use green leafy vegetables?

• You can cook and eat green leafy vegetables.
• They can also be boiled and drunk in the form of soup.
• You can also consume it like juice by grinding green leafy vegetables.
• They can also be added to salads and smoothies.
• Consume one cup of green leafy vegetable juice or soup daily.

Green leafy vegetables are considered a good source of folate, which can help increase your low platelet count. Actually, platelets also decrease due to folate deficiency.

8. Amla

1 to 2 small gooseberries

How to use Amla?

• You can wash the gooseberry and consume it on an empty stomach every morning.
• You can also drink Amla juice by extracting it.
• Honey can be added to it for taste.
• You can also eat delicious home-made Amla pickles and jams.
• Consume Amla or its juice 2 to 3 times a day till the production of platelets does not increase.

Amla is rich in vitamin-C. As we have already told you above that vitamin-C can prove beneficial for platelets. Therefore, you can consume Amla for platelets count. According to a research, consuming gooseberry can increase as well as decrease platelet count. Therefore, you must consult a doctor once before consuming Amla in case of platelets.

9. Beetroot and Carrot

Beetroot and Carrot as required

How to use beetroot and carrot?

• Wash and peel the beetroot and carrot thoroughly.
• You can also drink their juice by extracting it.
• You can also consume beetroot and carrot mixed juice.
• A glass of juice can be drunk daily until platelets do not improve.

Carrots contain phenolic compounds, which are antioxidants found in plants. It prevents platelets from aggregating in the body. At the same time, nitric oxide present in beet also does not allow platelets to collect in one place in the body. In such a situation, with its help, the decrease in platelet count is removed. Actually, when platelets collect in one place, the platelet count decreases and blood clots are formed. If your platelets are decreasing due to a blood disorder, then you can consume juice of both of these. They can be taken together as well as separately.

10. Coconut Oil

Coconut oil as required

How to use coconut oil?

• You can use coconut oil for cooking.
• It can be used to make salads and smoothies.
• If you like the taste of coconut oil, you can cook with it every day.
• You can consume it till the platelet count does not increase.

Coconut oil is rich in healthy fats and other nutrients. Hence, it is said to be the healthiest oil. Along with providing many physiological benefits, it prevents our platelets from aggregating in one place. According to a research, when coconut oil was consumed, it resulted in increased platelet activation.

11. Fresh Milk

A glass of fresh milk

How to use fresh milk?

• Have a glass of milk before going to bed in the morning or at night.
• You can also include it in your diet in the form of smoothies, ready-to-it breakfasts, sweets and kheer.
• You can consume it regularly once or twice.

You can also use milk to increase your platelets. Actually, vitamin B-12 is found in milk, due to the lack of which platelets are not formed in sufficient quantity in the bone marrow. Apart from this, milk is also a good source of calcium, vitamin-D, folate and vitamin-K. Vitamin-K is necessary to stop bleeding caused by a lack of platelets. At the same time, we have told you about folate in the above article that platelet count decreases when its quantity in the body is low.

12. Raisins

4 to 5 raisins

How to use raisins?

• Soak raisins overnight.
• In the morning you can take out the water and consume it.
• You can eat them in smoothies, breakfast or even with milk.
• It can also be included in diet in desserts and as a topping.
• You can eat raisins once or twice a day.

Raisins are rich in iron element i.e. iron. They play an important role in the development of RBCs and platelets. Its deficiency can cause problems like thrombocytopenia or low platelet count and anaemia. Therefore, you can include raisins in your diet to increase platelet count.

13. Folate-rich foods

Folate-rich foods as needed (black beans, cowpea, mustard greens, broccoli)

How to use folate-rich foods?

• Soak the folate-rich granules (cowpea, kidney beans) overnight.
• You can use them in lentils, vegetables, soups and snacks the next morning.
• Apart from this, other folate-rich green vegetables can be juiced and consumed.
• You can include folate in your diet twice a day for overall health.

Consuming folate helps to increase your platelet count as well as stop it from decreasing. Folate naturally occurs in many foods such as kidney beans, oranges, peanuts and black peas. Actually, due to the lack of folate, the bone marrow is not able to make platelets. Therefore, folate-rich substances play an important role in increasing the platelet count.

14. Foods Rich in Vitamin B-12

Vitamin B-12 rich foods as needed yogurt, eggs, meats, clams, crabs, lobster, etc.

How to use foods rich in Vitamin B-12?

• Eat eggs boiled, fried or poached (cooked in water).
• You can also include eggs in sandwiches and wraps.
• You can consume cheese by using it in salad.
• You can eat meat, oysters, clams, crab and lobster after washing them thoroughly.
• You can also consume them by using them as a filling in burgers or sandwiches.
• You can always consume foods containing vitamin B-12 to stay healthy.

If there is a deficiency of vitamin B-12 in your body, then platelets are not made in the blood. Therefore, you should consume foods containing vitamin B-12 regularly for platelets. Foods containing vitamin B-12 include eggs, meat, broccoli, yogurt and oysters.

15. Brussels Sprouts

Brussels sprouts as needed

How to use brussels sprouts?

• You can eat Brussels sprouts by grilling them and adding good spices.
• You can eat it in the form of salad or even mixed with it.
• It can also be made by mixing it with other vegetables.
• You can also use basil sprouts for dressing and garnishing.
• Bracelet spouts are nutritious, so you can use them daily.
• If you don’t like the taste of it, then at least use it till the platelet count increases.

Brussels sprouts are rich in vitamins, minerals and fibre. It has the ability to keep the immune system, blood and bones healthy. Also, there are all the nutrients like vitamin-C, vitamin-K, vitamin-A and folate, which are needed to increase the platelet count, which we have mentioned in the article above.

What to avoid during low platelets?

Consumption of certain things works to reduce your platelet count, which you should avoid consuming and coming in contact with. Below we will tell about what should be avoided if your platelets are low.

• Exposure to toxic chemicals such as pesticides, arsenic and benzene can slow down the production of platelets.
• Medicines like Chloramphenicol can slow down the production of platelets.
• Alcohol abuse.

Conclusion

If you are not getting relief from these home remedies, then contact your doctor immediately. So that your problems do not increase too much. Also, follow all the instructions of the doctor thoroughly. So that problems can be controlled in time. At Life Aveda, we provide personalized consultation. In this, a doctor discusses the medical history of patients, does the root analysis on causes. After the deep analysis doctor suggest the necessary medication to the patient. To book a Consultation call on us at +91-7743002520