Foods high in certain vitamins and minerals, including vitamins B12 and C, folate, and iron, may help increase your platelet count. Some foods and beverages, including alcohol, may lower it.

Platelets are the blood cells that help your blood to clot.

When your platelet count is low, you may notice symptoms like fatigue, easy bruising, and bleeding gums. A low platelet count is referred to as thrombocytopenia.

Treatment for low platelet count will depend on the type and severity of your symptoms.

If you have mild thrombocytopenia, you may be able to manage your platelet count through diet and supplements.

However, it’s important to note you will most likely need medical treatment if you have moderate to severe low platelet count to avoid any complications.

Keep reading for tips on how to naturally manage your platelet count if you have mild thrombocytopenia.

A note on supplements

The Food and Drug (FDA) Administration does not monitor all supplements, which means they are not regulated for quality and purity.

As such, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional before taking any supplements to manage your platelet count. This could help avoid interactions with medications or treatment approaches.

Foods high in certain vitamins and minerals may help your body make and maintain platelets in your blood.

While many of these nutrients are available in supplement form, it’s best to get them from foods when you can. Eating well is essential to regaining health.

Vitamin B12

Vitamin B12 helps keep your blood cells healthy. A deficiency of vitamin B12 has been associated with low platelet counts, although this is rare.

The best sources of vitamin B12 tend to be animal-based foods, such as:

If you follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, you can get vitamin B12 from fortified cereals or supplements.

Folate

Folate is a B vitamin that helps your cells, including blood cells. It appears naturally in many foods, and it’s added to others in the form of folic acid.

Research suggests folate deficiency may contribute to low platelet count, although it’s unlikely to be the only factor.

Some high folate foods include:

Iron

Iron is essential to your body’s ability to produce healthy blood cells.

Iron deficiency anemia is associated with thrombocytopenia, but increasing your intake of iron may help increase platelet counts.

You can find high levels of iron in certain foods, including:

Vitamin C

Vitamin C helps your platelets group together and function efficiently.

Research suggests vitamin C may help improve platelet count. It also helps you to absorb iron, which may contribute to increasing platelet counts.

While some foods can raise your platelet count, others, including some beverages, can lower it. Foods and beverages that may lower your platelet count include:

Some supplements may help increase your platelet count.

However, it’s important to note that more research is needed to fully support the benefits of these supplements in increasing platelet counts.

Papaya leaf extract

A 2019 review found that papaya leaf extract helped increase platelet counts in four people undergoing treatment for immune thrombocytopenic purpura.

Bovine colostrum

Colostrum is the first substance a baby cow receives from its mother. It’s also becoming a common dietary supplement.

A 2017 study identified elements of colostrum that contained proteins involved in platelet activation as well as immune responses.

Chlorophyll

Chlorophyll is a green pigment that allows plants to absorb light from the sun.

A 2023 study found that chlorophyll injections helped increase platelet count in rats.

However, no clinical studies on humans have evaluated the effectiveness of taking chlorophyll supplements.

Melatonin

Your body naturally produces melatonin, a hormone that helps regulate your circadian rhythm.

While melatonin supplements are often used to improve sleep, a small 2021 study found that it could increase platelet levels.

If left untreated, thrombocytopenia may lead to serious complications, such as severe external or internal bleeding.

Speak with a healthcare professional as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms:

  • excessive bleeding
  • small, colored spots under your skin (petechiae)
  • purple, yellow, or brown bruises that don’t go away (purpura)
  • bloody stools or urine
  • bleeding from the mouth or nose

These symptoms may indicate more severe thrombocytopenia that may only respond to medical treatment.

How can I raise my platelet count fast?

Eating foods high in iron, folate, and vitamin B12 may help increase platelets.

Which foods increase platelet count?

Some foods that may help increase platelet count include beef, liver, eggs, clams, mangoes, pineapple, and oranges, among others.

How do you fix low platelets?

Treatment for low platelet count will depend on the underlying cause and the severity and type of symptoms. Mild low platelet count may be treated with dietary changes, while severe low platelet count may require medications or blood transfusions.

What foods should you avoid if you have low platelets?

Walnuts, cranberry juice, alcohol, and sesame are some foods and beverages to avoid if you have low platelets.

Eating certain foods and taking supplements may help increase your platelet count.

However, it’s important to speak with a healthcare professional about thrombocytopenia. They could help develop a treatment plan that’s best for you.