Part of the red blood cells, hemoglobin is that protein in our body that contains iron. It also carries oxygen to and carbon dioxide away from all the cells in the body. Scientifically, the level of hemoglobin is measured in terms of grams per deciliter (gm/dl). Keeping this in mind, the level of hemoglobin that is considered normal and healthy in men is 13.5-13.8 to 17.2-17.5, in women it is 11.5-12.1 to 15.1-15.5 gm/dl, and in children it is 11.1 to 16.1 gm/dl. When the level of hemoglobin in the body differs vastly from the level that should normally be there, that is when we start facing health problems. Inadequately high level of hemoglobin is usually found in people suffering from some kind of chronic lung disease, those who live at high altitudes, or those in whom the production of red blood cells is abnormally high. However, a high level of hemoglobin is not as much of a cause for concern as low levels of hemoglobin. The biggest problem that we face due to a low level of hemoglobin is anaemia. Anaemia develops when the production of red blood cells in the body is not adequate, when our intake of iron is not sufficient, when our intake of vitamin B12 is not adequate, when there is some kind of internal bleeding that is not visible to the naked eye, or when there has been a medical ailment that has been around for a long time.
What you can do immediately to boost up your hemoglobin level is to increase your intake of iron and vitamin B12. As for the rest, you will be able to determine how to handle the problem only after getting a thorough examination done of your blood. To increase the level of iron and vitamin B12 in your body, you can either take capsules of the same under medical supervision or else fortify your diet with food that is rich in both these elements. The foods that contain an abundant amount of iron are beef and chicken liver, spinach, soya beans, sardines, oysters, pumpkin seeds, dates, apples, pears, figs, tomatoes, potatoes with skin, beetroot, and almonds. Foods that contain a high level of vitamin B12 are animal products such as meat, poultry, fish, eggs, milk and its products. You will have to make sure that your regular diet contains at least seven to eight of these edibles, from both these groups, for your hemoglobin to shoot up significantly.