How to Increase Lymphocyte Count?

Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell that help the body’s immune system fight infections. Lymphocytes are classified into T cell, B cell, and natural killer cell types. B cells produce antibodies that attack viruses, bacteria, or toxins that enter the body, while T cells destroy damaged cells in the body. Because of their role in fighting infection, lymphocytes decrease in number when the body is sick or depleted. Common causes of lymphopenia include: viral infections, poor nutrition, stress, chemotherapy, and corticosteroid use. Whatever the cause, you can support your immune system by making dietary and lifestyle changes to increase your lymphocyte count.

Table of Contents

Applying a diet to increase the number of lymphocytes

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Eat lean protein. Protein is made up of long chains of amino acids that the body needs to make white blood cells. When there isn’t enough protein, the body produces fewer white blood cells. This means you can increase your white blood cell count by eating enough protein. ^{[1] X Research Source}

Lean proteins to choose from include skinless chicken or turkey breast, fish, shellfish, cottage cheese, egg whites, and legumes. ^{[2] X Trusted Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Go to Source}
To find out how much protein to eat, multiply your body weight in kilograms by 0.8. The result will be the minimum number of grams of protein you should eat each day. Body weight is the maximum number of grams of protein you should eat per day.
You can convert your body weight from pounds to kilograms by multiplying by 0.45 or using an online calculator.

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Avoid foods high in saturated fat and trans fat. Bad fats like saturated fat and trans fat make the lymphocytes denser and less efficient. Reducing consumption of saturated and trans fats can improve the immune system. In addition, you should choose monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats instead of saturated and trans fats. ^{[3] X Research Sources}

Replace saturated and trans fats with healthy fats like omega-3 fatty acids. This will help increase the number of lymphocytes. ^{[4] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}
Limit fat intake to 30% of calories, of which trans fat makes up only 5%-10%.
You can avoid trans fats by avoiding hydrogenated oils, baked goods, fried foods, fast foods, non-dairy ice cream, and real butter. object. ^{[5] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Eat foods containing beta carotene. Beta carotene supports the immune system by increasing the production of lymphocytes. In addition, it also helps the body to prevent cancer, heart disease and stroke. Most doctors recommend a beta carotene intake of between 10,000 and 83,000 IU per day. You can achieve this goal by eating 5 or more servings of vegetables per day.

Beta carotene is a fat-soluble vitamin, so you should eat at least 3 g of fat to absorb beta carotene. For example, you can use hummus to dip your carrots, or eat a salad with a low-fat dressing, such as olive oil mixed with balsamic vinegar.
Beta carotene from processed foods is different from beta carotene in supplements, so their benefits are not the same. In supplement form, beta carotene can be harmful to some people, such as smokers.
Beta carotene is present in foods such as sweet potatoes, carrots, spinach, romaine lettuce, turmeric, cantaloupe, and dried apricots.

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Eat foods containing zinc. Zinc helps increase the number of T cells and natural killer cells, thereby helping to strengthen the immune system. Our bodies need zinc to produce lymphocytes, so you need to get the recommended daily requirement. Men should eat at least 11mg of zinc/day, women need at least 8mg/day.

Pregnant women need at least 11mg of zinc per day, while lactating women need 12mg.
Good choices include oysters, fortified cereals, crab, beef, turkey dark meat, and legumes. ^{[6] X Research Sources}

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Marinate garlic in food. Garlic enhances white blood cell production, increasing the number of natural killer cells. In addition, garlic is also a healthy antioxidant. Garlic also helps prevent cardiovascular diseases by preventing blood clots. ^{[7] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

You can buy dried garlic, garlic powder, or use fresh garlic.

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Drink green tea daily. Green tea has the effect of supporting the immune system, fighting viruses that weaken white blood cells and can help the body increase white blood cells. Green tea is also a great alternative to other drinks that can make you tired, such as sugary drinks. ^{[8] X Research Sources}

Take vitamins and supplements

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Take vitamin C. Vitamin C helps the body increase the production of white blood cells, which include lymphocytes. You can get vitamin C through food, but vitamin C in supplement form is also helpful. Since the body does not produce or store vitamin C, you will need to replenish it every day. ^{[9] X Cleveland Clinic Trusted Source Go to Source}

The body only uses the necessary amount of vitamin C that you take in and gets rid of the excess. This means you will need to take vitamin C daily.
Always consult your doctor before taking any vitamins and supplements. Supplements can sometimes prevent the absorption of other medications, vitamins, and minerals.
Supplements can be quite expensive. If you already eat fruits and vegetables to get your daily dose of vitamin C, you probably don’t need to take a vitamin C supplement.

Add vitamin D to your diet. If you don’t get enough vitamin D, your immune system can weaken and your lymphocyte count can drop. ^{[10] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to source} Make sure to get at least 600 IU of vitamin D per day. ^{[11] X Research Source}

You may not be getting enough vitamin D through your diet. Talk to your doctor about taking a vitamin D supplement.

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Try vitamin E. Vitamin E helps in the production of B cells and natural killer cells in the body. For good results, you will need to take 100-400 mg of vitamin E daily. Healthy people need less, and people with less health will need to drink more.

Because vitamin E is a fat-soluble vitamin, you should take vitamin E with food that has at least 3 g of fat.
If you want to get vitamin E through food, good choices include sunflower seeds, almonds, spinach, safflower oil, turnip leaves, canned pumpkin, red bell peppers, asparagus, collard greens, mango, avocado and peanut butter. ^{[12] X Research Source}
You can find vitamin E supplements at drugstores, vitamin stores, and online.

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Supplemental selenium. Selenium helps the body produce more white blood cells. Since it’s not easy to get selenium through the diet, you can take selenium as a supplement. When taken with zinc, both minerals can be effective in supporting the functioning of the immune system. ^{[13] X Trusted Source PubMed Central Go to Source}

The recommended daily intake of selenium is 55 mcg/day. Pregnant women need 60 mcg, breastfeeding women need 70 mcg.
You can also get selenium through food if you like to eat a lot of seafood. Selenium is found in foods like oysters, crab, and tuna. ^{[14] X Research Source}

Lifestyle adjustment

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Consult your doctor if you have serious health problems. Low lymphocyte counts have many causes, some of which are temporary. For example, viral infections, serious bacterial infections, and some antibiotics can all temporarily lower lymphocyte counts. However, there are some quite serious causes, including certain cancers, autoimmune diseases, and disorders that impair bone marrow function. ^{[15] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

If a serious problem is suspected, a doctor can diagnose and plan treatment.
There are better options available to you, such as bone marrow transplant. ^{[16] X Trusted Source National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute Go to Source}

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Adequate sleep is recommended each night. Adults need 7-9 hours of sleep to be fully rested. Teens may need up to 10 hours of sleep each night, while young children may need up to 13 hours. ^{[17] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to the source} Fatigue can weaken the immune system because of a low white blood cell count. Getting enough sleep is a good habit for the immune system. ^{[18] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

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Include stress-reducing activities in your daily schedule. Stress forces the body to work harder, thereby weakening the immune system. It also causes the body to secrete hormones such as cortisp that exist in the blood. When you are stressed, you will be more susceptible to diseases and the result is a decrease in white blood cells. ^{[19] X Research Source} To avoid stress, you should include stress-relieving activities in your schedule, eg.

Try yoga.
Practice meditation.
Go for a walk outdoors.
Deep breath.
Find a hobby to entertain.

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Stop smoking . The habit of smoking weakens the immune system, including white blood cells. When that happens, the body will not be able to produce or maintain a high number of lymphocytes. ^{[20] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

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Limit alcoholic beverages. Moderate alcohol consumption does not harm the immune system, but excessive alcohol consumption can damage the body. It puts the body under stress, which leads to a decrease in its ability to produce white blood cells. ^{[21] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source} Women should limit themselves to 1 drink per day, and men to 2 drinks. ^{[22] X Trusted Source Centers for Disease Contrp and Prevention Go to source}

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Maintain a healthy weight. Being underweight or being overweight can affect your body’s white blood cell production. Your body may not be producing enough white blood cells, and even the white blood cells you have are not working as well. ^{[23] X Research Source} Maintain a healthy weight by adopting a balanced diet and exercising regularly. ^{[24] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

Eat lots of vegetables.
Remember to eat a small serving of lean protein at each meal.
Eat 2-3 servings of fruit per day.
Drink a lot of water.
Limit sugar and unhealthy fats.

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Exercise most days. Exercise habits can support the immune system by increasing circulation, which in turn also helps lymphocytes function properly. You should try to exercise for 30 minutes a day, 5 days a week. Choose activities that you really enjoy. ^{[25] X Trusted Source Harvard Medical Schop Go to Source}

Good options include: walking, dancing, biking, hiking, swimming, jogging, team sports, climbing.

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Wash your hands often. Washing your hands is always a good idea, and it’s even more important when you’re trying to increase your lymphocyte count. This helps reduce your risk of exposure to things that can cause infections like bacteria and viruses. ^{[26] X Harvard Medical Schop Trusted Source Go to Source}

Warning

Lymphocytosis can occur if the number of lymphocytes in the body is too high. While this is usually not harmful, it can be related to blood cancers or chronic infections. ^{[27] X Trusted Source Mayo Clinic Go to Source}

Steps

Applying a diet to increase the number of lymphocytes

Take vitamins and supplements

Lifestyle adjustment

Warning

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