The longer I was vegan and started exercising every day the lower my white blood cell count became. My doctor wondered why so she sent me to a hematologist who after running every test couldn't come up with a reason. NO ONE asked me a single thing about my diet. I'm so sick of doctors knowing nothing about nutrition.
Same thing happened to me. Mine vacillates between 2.7 and 3.1. I'm never sick and heal up quick from cuts. My white count dropped after just modest changes toward a vegan diet. I am still overweight though. Anyway, it was a expensive and a worry when I was referred to an oncologist. I'm so glad Dr. Gregor finally did this video.
patty 8873 yeah I don't see why they aren't being required to learn it. Maybe in the past people didn't know much about the connection. But now the evidence is overwhelming. If they really want to give their patients the best care possible, they need to take some nutrition classes. I know one of the vegan doctors mentioned it. They tried to introduce a new requirement, and doctors got all pissy about it so it never went through.
Thank you for sharing! I think that since some few people in the population have a healthy diet, your results must really stand out, in a good way. But of course regular docs never talk about diet, so ignorant. Just reading your comments I'm getting second hand pissoffness. Get on with the program already, docs!
OMG i almost cry reading my lab result for the 3rd time my wbc is always so low around 3. Im so afraid that i hv cancer of something but then i read comments here, thank you guys!!!!! I fee better
My best friend has 2.8. And was wondering the same thing and worried...but he is whole food plant based so I guess thats common. I also have 3.8 whichi isnt super either.
Same here. My WBC is consistently around 3.0 and my doctor is referring me to a hematologist to figure out what’s wrong. I have been on ketone diet for years, eating tons of leafy vegetables, olive oils, and moderate amount of meats, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Matthew Martin I just got 3.8 and I am worried. All other blood cell tests came out as normal. I’m hoping all is ok. In the last year I’ve tried really hard and well to eat healthy...
I REALLY wish physicians were given nutritional studies…so many are so quick to run test test test and NEVER ask about lifestyle! My WBC for the past 3 years have been hovering btwn 2.7-2.8. NO ONE asked me about my diet! Thank you so much!!
@Jos Ryder I had mine checked about three weeks ago and it was 6.1 three weeks later I was 5.7 different labs. Should be concerned or it depends on each lab and what they test for?
Im a bit of the opposite as I eat mostly meat, no processed foods and alot of water. I came in right at 2.8 and my Dr. wants to run tests. These normal ratios are more for the typical american junk food diet. Stay healthy!
@@wc6423 - Agree! I used to be a lacto-vegetarian but a medication put a lot of weight on me and I felt too hungry on a lower calorie diet, so I went on the Paleo diet and lost 40 lbs. with no hunger, while eating meat twice a day. I've been on Paleo for 1 1/2 yrs. now. My White count dropped to 3.5, the first time it's ever been "too low".
@@wc6423 I am same on a low carb diet. found this site after CBC showing low WBC. sent to hematologist next week. But I am in great shape and doubt very much it is anything outside what is outlined here, not vegetarian as much as it is cutting out the crap. has your cholesterol gone up? mine is going up, so off to cardiologist, he say eat plant based, but I am now in camp saying cholesterol/LDL not issue so this week results of my NMR lipoprotein test are due; let's look at LDL particle size. anyway interesting video and the previous one.
@wc6423 same here. I'm ketovore and 2.8. No to very few plants, but also no ultra processed junk. I was concerned about cancer until I began listening to this. Also, my oncologist said not to come to his office unless I was under 2.0, IIRC.
This video has me relieved, wow! I had a WBC count of 3.95 and the doctor had me so worried. This is my healthiest year so far, with no medication at all, not even simple painkillers, yet the doctor thinks I have a problem. I've never done the test before so I can't tell if it has changed or not. I feel good.
That’s the same number I have, the nurse called me today and said that my doctor isn’t worried about it, she just wanted me to have another blood draw. I’ve been freaking out. I talked to my dad and he said he has done them the same thing. He said his doctor told him that numbers isn’t so bad, start taking I’m sure he said vitamin B-12, his next bloodwork was fine. I’ve read so much today about this. I’m very healthy and have no issues.I don’t get sick, however this past year my diet has been horrible and I know my eating is out of wack. In 2020 mom passed and then this pandemic, life has just been stressful and I have anxiety. I really think after all I’ve read..this may be my problem. Stress, anxiety and not eating right !! I’m trying to not worry, but it’s hard. I’m not sure my insurance will pay for more bloodwork, I’ll have to call them. But I’m 63, very energetic and have been around so many people with Covid, my husband had Covid and I’ve never gotten it. I walk all the time and work out. I just really think it boils down to not eating right, so it’s time to get back to making time to eat right
Wow! This is a life changing information seriously. My husband's doctor said his white blood cell count is at a lower side so she is worried and got us worried so much. I have not seen any information like this anywhere. I feel so relieved and at the same time, so disappointed at how most of doctors have no idea about what is going on. Thank you so much Dr. Michael!
I’ve been in the 3.0 to 3.7 range my whole life and I eat meat but I also excersise 6 days a week and I hardly eat any processed foods. Plus I don’t drink or smoke. The average American does not fall into that category, thus the range of 4.5-10
Sometimes think doctors are over drama, your post makes me feel better, I just found out mine is 3.95.My doctor isn’t worried but wants me to do another blood draw in 2 weeks. I’m not sure,my insurance will pay for another one and I really don’t want to do it again. I feel totally great and never get sick. If I were having issues, I wouldn’t mind testing again. I just think they need to consider other things ????
I was recently sent to a blood specialist to run further tests because they were alarmed with my low white blood cell count. I was freaking out because I was in a waiting room with a lot of cancer patients, too many to count. They asked me all these cancer related questions... I conclude that I am Vegan and simply healthy 😊
I kinda know how that feels. My low white blood cell count and a slightly larger lymph node had me seeing an oncologist for 3 visits last year. The questionnaires at the university medical center were certainly a gloomy read, but I understand that they're doing research on the psychology of the cancer patients too.
Definately a connection to diet & exercise. In May of 2021 I became concerned about Covid inactivity, weight gain and high triglycerides. So, decided change was in order. Went full-on Keto, intermittent fasting (16/8) and walking one hour every day. Triglycerides dropped from 170s to 40s, white count also went down from 4.9 to between 2.9 - 3.8 ….All with good energy, great sleep & return to college weight at 70+ yrs old.
Boy that's a relief! Have done the same thing. Keto, IF, and walking. My neutrophils were in the 3's and the doc is taking them over in 3 months. Meanwhile I got alarmed. I'm pretty darn healthy at 63, my alt, is normal now and so is my thyroid. My lipid panel is great, but doc was concerned about high cholesterol and ldls. Hdl and Trigl, stellar. After listening to some keto docs I find I'm just fine. And this info just sealed the deal! Thanks for sharing, I wondered I the keto could be the reason for lower wbc!
Wooooooahhhh, DR GREGER THANK YOU. When I got my test results back saying I had a WBC count of 3.35, I freaked out and thought I was sick with something. Now I know that’s a good thing! I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing.
@@bluebirdnerd same! I am a person who almost never get sick. I am strictly vegan diet and I have very low fat. My test become 3.5 and 2.9. I was concerned but I found this video.
Brilliant research! Thank you Dr. Greger! Now I'm going to celebrate my low, low, low WBC!🎉 Great news!! You're the best!! Cheers to exercise & a whole food plant based diet! 🌿🌎💚
Perhaps the reason that white blood cell count is reduced on a plant based diet is due to a reduction in the pH of bodily fluids. When our sinus fluid, urine, joint fluid, or any other fluid besides our blood, is too acidic it breaks down tissue more quickly. It's like when people marinade foods to break down their tissue. The more acid we produce to digest animals and processed foods the more acidic our fluids become and the more dead cells we have to clean out and replace. The acidic fluids age us quicker, cause swelling, and cause an increase in white blood cells needed to help clear out the excess dead tissue. I hope someone will study the correlation between white blood cell count and pH of bodily fluids. pH could be an even cheaper indication of disease that people could monitor at home.
Vegan nutrition makes it easier for your body to maintain the pH value in the normal range. The fluids are not less acidic. If they were less acidic then you would have problems. The body maintains a healthy balance whether you eat a lot of meat or not. But being vegan makes the job for the body much easier.
This video really helps a lot! Thank you very much! My WBC became 3.5 and 2.9. I am one of the people who almost never gets sick and I am considered pretty healthy person. Thank you very much!
There's a lot of angles to this story and I wish Dr. Greger would go into more detail on this in either his blog or a future video. Definitely, low WBC could be of concern to some folks and always they should seek out a qualified doctor's guidance on their own situation. That said, here is my story. I was a typical SAD (Standard American Diet == Meat) eater for my first 50+ years and had all the bad side effects of that lifestyle. My WBC on my annual CBCs were consistently in 3.7 - 4.5 range. The 3.x's always worried me, but my docs said it's fine at that level. About 3+ years ago, I gave up meat entirely and moved to a complete WFPB / Vegan diet and have never felt better. But, when I started getting back my CBC results, it terrified me. My first WBC after a year was 3.5, then 3.1, then (yikes 2.8!). So, I began investigating everywhere I could and of course, Dr. Greger has some great resources. So does Dr. Klaper (another WFPB doc), who in one video states that 2.8 and so on is not unusual for LT Vegans. And he gets asked by Hematologists - so this tells you how poorly this information is circulating out there. Another resource I found in my search said some folks just have a genetic tendency to have lower WBCs. This sounded interesting so I polled my siblings, who are the complete opposite of WFPB eaters. Sure enough - same #'s as I used to have - 3.5, 3.7, 4.1 etc. So, low or under the usual guidelines - and that as regular meat eaters. Last piece - and it's kinda funny. One year I was at a conference and had to grab a quick lunch. I was hungry and the menu ( I thought !) said "almost chicken sandwich". It was good, so I had two of them. Turns out, I read it wrong - it WAS chicken. Uggh! Two days later, I had my annual physical w/ CBC. My WBC had shot up from 3.1 to 3.7, I am guessing from the meat. A year later, back to sub 3.0 again. Anyway, take this as just my personal experience, but I sure wish one of the widely followed research docs would do a deeper dive on this, taking into consideration there are genetic tendencies for some folks to start at much lower WBC's than others, so when they drop down 25% from their meat eating days, they go down to these levels that look scary on paper. While the majority of Vegan folks drop similarly from a higher value and are not flagged as too low.
My most recent WBCs were at 4,000. They've been a little lower before, and the doctor had me all panicked, but I rarely get sick and feel like I have a pretty robust immune system.
Huh, I am always getting flagged for low WBC on my blood work. I was sent to hematologist for dropping under 4 several times. Not a vegan though, I just don't eat much processed food. Looks like nothing to worry about. In fact quite the opposite.
Yeah, my cardiologist is freaking out over my 3.7 WBC and 0.9 Lymphocytes, I'm 72 yo male, raw vegan & do 3 hrs of exercise daily, almost put me in a panic, I'm losing faith in the modern medical system. Thank you for posting the video!!!!
My WBC count is slightly lower then average, I have no infection, no issues, have not missed work for the last 10 years. The Dr seemed to suggest this is an issue, Thanks for being a educator and providing this. (but I do eat organic eggs, and organic , raw cheese but moderately and eat mostly vegetables, olives, olive oil, berries and that is about it.
Right after I went vegan, about two years ago my WBC was at 4.0 & a few months ago it was 3.1. I've been vegan for two years and before that vegetarian. Don't smoke, don't drink and my vit B12 is normal range. This last time my doctor referred me to a hematologist and the hematologist found nothing wrong. They tested my WBC three weeks later and it jumped to 4.2! The only change in my life style was that I added an additional 80g of fat per day into my diet at the time (since I was doing a raw vegan cleanse) and needed A LOT of fat in my diet to make it sustainable for me. Before that I followed a HCLF diet. It's interesting now knowing what I've experienced and seeing the correlation between fat, inflammation and WBC. Dr. G keep up the good work!
Carolyn Hill He never actually gives one. One paper recommended a change to the bottom end of the reference range from 4.5 to 3.11. A population with WFPB diet averaged 5. He didn't ever say "the lower the better" as far as i could tell.
I started low-carb/keto diet(all whole food), dropped some weight, and I feel great. I noticed that my WBC was about 3.3, had it redone for a 3.5 (4 - 12 normal range for this lab). I kept looking for information on this topic and I drew blank until I see this. It all makes sense now. My inflammation markers are equally low. I like my low WBC now!!
*3 meses siendo Plantbased y mis glóbulos blancos bajaron increíblemente. Lo comprobé por estudios de laboratorio que me hice, no sólo eso, muchas cosas más que descubrí!!!! Gracias Doctor!!!!*
OMG this is Gold!! 5:35. This is exactly what I Was hoping to find! I was always told my WBC was too low. But the scale is an American based diet. I've always cook my own food and eat fairly clean. Thank you so much for this info!
My WBC counts were taken twice due to the doc saying they were too low, regardless of the fact that everything else came back perfectly fine, 1st panel was: 2.9 and my second was: 3.2, I'm 31. Vegan for 2 years. I eat Whole Foods mixed with faux meats/cheeses every so often. I do not use any tobacco, and I drink wine occasionally. Looks like I'm pretty fucking healthy 😊
I eat low carb high fat (every meal is fatty meat + veggies) and my wbc count always sits between 3.6-3.8. I would assume what we LCHF and vegetarians/vegans have in common is that we all are health focused so we eliminate processed foods, exercise, don't smoke, etc.
@matimus are you still doing keto now? My wbc from 4.99 to 3.68 after 1half months of LCHF diet since i am skinny i ate a lot of fats but healthy fats like 3 seving of macadamia 5-7 tbsp of olive oil and avocado oil everyday which i mix in salad of cooking.
@@hopelessromantic2994 My diet hasn't really changed, it's not keto but basically meat, organs, fruit, some veggies, and dairy (homemade yogurt mostly). When I'm bulking at the gym I throw in some carb sources like sweet potatoes. I've been effortlessly lean all these years and feel great so I have no intention of changing anything.
@@mattimus13are your wbc still low today? And is ive said im skinny and became under weight since keto so i cant eat also a lot of meat since my URIC ACID went up also since doing keto so do you think eating like 6-10 tbsp of olive or avocado oil ia safe for me since ita healthy fats for me tobgain weight coz i dont know what to eat to gain weight, thanks for your reply
@@hopelessromantic2994 I don't know about my wbc, haven't had it re-tested in years but I'd assume it's the same. As for oils honestly I'm not a fan, I don't use them at all. I wouldn't stress too much about this diet stuff, as long as you're eating unprocessed whole foods like meats, organs, veggies, fruits, dairy, etc. just play around and find what works for you.
@@mattimus13 how many grams of carbs you eat in a day? Im thngkng of addng up rice now again tp my diet but im afraid itbwould raise my pre diabetic agaim and hbp as well as hihh uric acid. Thanks for replying btw
I just watching this after my doctor was so concern about my WBC dropping down every year since I did start eating a whole food plant based diet. My WBC values came from 8,.5 to 3.5 now. I never had been sick since start eating plant based food
Wow, thank you for this video. I just got blood work done and it was 3.8 and immediately got anxiety and thought I had cancer. This reassures me because I recently switched to a whole food diet about two months ago. I do eat meat but only lean cuts and I add saturated fats (for good skin health) by using refined coconut oil for cooking. It's crazy because I actually dropped quite a lot lower then all those studies. I was at 7 November of last year and now I'm half that. Whole food diet is the way to go....
I'm 63 and far from being a vegetarian... My diet is high in the consumption of eggs, and meat. I also consume, butter, cheese, nuts, whole vegetables, and occasionally fruit. I stay away from processed foods, most oils (with the exception of coconut, avocado, and olive), and I especially avoid sugar. I maintain a healthy weight and I exercise regularly. My most recent blood work showed me within the normal range in everything except LDL (borderline high but triglycerides are normal) and white blood cell count which came in at 4.1... I take no medications and my blood pressure is normally around 110/65. My doctor tells me I'm in better shape than my men half my age... My girlfriend says so too 😉
@@billstewartkyokushinkarate Yeah, I didn't even realize how much added sugar and processed foods increases inflammation. It's crazy. Just from your and mine experience it seems meat doesn't cause inflammation for some. I'm more inclined to say that many people who switch to vegetarian or vegan simple just start eating healthier with less processed foods. Who knows though. I bet this is all individual dependent.
Coconut oil isn't healthy. It's being promoted as a health food in order to sell it. It's still a lot of saturated fat and saturated fat is not healthy. I don't know much about any skin benefits from eating saturated fat, but I know what it does to your cardiovascular system.
I used to smoke, drink and eat trash food in the university about 5 years ago. Then a friend got cancer and I decided this was not the way I wanted to go I did hours of research on the internet on how to prevent cancer and heart disease from a young age hoping to undo some of the damage I did to my body. My first ever blood work at 22 Yo had a WBC of 8.2. I stumbled upon Dr Greger's site about 3 years ago started following a plant based diet quit many bad habits smoking and drinking... I just turned 27 and went for a full blood work test... WBC is 5.02 everything else on optimal or close to optimal levels. Glad to see my body was able to heal... feeling better than ever. Thanks to Dr Grege for this very valuable videos.
please do a video on a ideal red blood count. mine is 3.96 wich is considered low on the "reference range scale" I have been to hemotologist and my blood work is great. I'm told this is just normal for me due to no other markers for concern. she says only 90 percent of population falls in reference range. you can be out side or reference range and still be perfectly healthy. have you ever come across anything like this? I have been a vegan for 8 yrs as well. thanks so much !
My WBC dropped below the "reference range" in my health reports of past 5 years. I feel relieved now after watching this video today. This feels in line with my resting heart rate (RHR) in the 40s (bpm), also below the "reference range". Due to doing IF everyday and averaging 11k runs/wk, I feel even more energetic and healthier than when I was in my 20s.
Such irony... Us healthy folks with low WBC and neutrophils think WE'RE the ones dying while in reality it's our loved ones with higher counts that are at higher risk and much more likely to die.. but they think their counts are fine and normal. 😢
2.5 - 2.6 on multiple tests over 6 months and diagnosed with leukopenia and sent to a hematologist oncologist who said it is either MDS or leukemia even though they know I’m a vegetarian
Thank you so much for this video. I have been researching this for a while and I wanted to confirm what I understood. This video made it clear. Also, to answer your question I think it is a little too inexpensive in my opinion haha. I am learning on the importance of WBC after noticing I went from 6.3 and 6.7 in 2019/2020 and getting now in 4...this year. I was in shock and thought I was maybe getting sick. I mean I was in the normal before things are changing. But, since the bottom of the range is better I can only attribute it to my fast and reducing my meat intake. I do both water and dry fasting. This is helping my food intolerances in a big way.
Mine is 2.9 and was 4.4 around a year ago. Do you think I should be concerned? I started intermittently fasting and even going whole days without eating or drinking. I think that played a roll
@@ronniemead805 What ended up happening Ronnie? Mine just came back at 2.8, and my doctor said she wants to retest in 2 weeks. Naturally, I was bugging out till I saw this video. Still kinda worried. Would love to hear some feedback!
@@8BitLife69 I went to see a specialist (Oncologist). They retested me and it came back 3.9 which is normal. I think I got a mild case of COVID-19 which impacted my GI tract severely and caused extreme tiredness. After a couple of weeks the virus ran its course and I am back to normal. This virus affects people in so many different ways, it is difficult to even predict what organ or system it will affect. Anyway, I tested at 3.9, so I am so happy I did not have cancer, I was a little worried about that. 2.8 is a bit low, but hopefully the new test will be better when you retest in two weeks. Blessings!
Unlike everyone else in the comment section I easily eat 2lbs of meat per day. Very active, 6 workouts a week. No seed oils or processed foods. WBC has been trending down ever since I changed my diet in 2018 from 4.2-3.1. The doctor told me today that she was really concerned with it. Which made me concerned but I have no symptoms. Also I got my C-reactive protein tested a few months ago and it was 1. So I’m not too worried, thanks to this video. Great energy and gaining muscle. 28 YO Male.
Haha! I got 4.0 (4.0-10.0) - The minimum that is still in the normal range. I have been vegan (healthy, wfpb) for many many years and I’m very happy with that.
This answered my question. I gave up meat,dairy and sweets( occasionally indulging some bites here and there) Doctor told me my WBC was less then 4.0. I said well I gave up meat and dairy and was told that has nothing to do with it. Well yes it does.
My latest WBC was 2.5! 🎉 I've been vegetarian since I was 16, so it's always been "low". Now that I'm 49 years old, WFPB vegan for many years, exercise regularly, and don't drink alcohol, it's even lower. Plus, after much Google researching, I'm learning that people of African descent, especially West Africans, tend to have much lower WBC and neutrophil counts than those of European descent. So, 2.5 is perfect, fine, and healthy and I'm not dying of some mystery disease! 😂 So thankful we have Dr. Greger!!! ❤😊
I and several of my family have M.E., which current research suggests is something inflammatory/immune-related. Back in 2009 (after about 8 years of ME) my WBC was 7.5. I've since then tried an anti-inflammatory diet, plus more recently stopped eating meat and taken up (organic) food-growing and some easy cycling. So, I'm wondering what my reading would be now in 2017. Not sure how to get the test done, but I'll come back here when I do.
You can just go to any normal clinic and let them know that you want to do a blood test, your insurance _may_ cover it, check first since blood tests are very expensive. My blood test was $250 (but insurance covered $200), but another person's was $2000+ (blood test for different reasons).
Okay, finally...drumroll...6.1. A decrease, but not a dramatic one, given all the changes I made. I felt averagely crap on that day too. On the other hand. my CRP is < 1, suggesting no inflammation.
Checked my bloodwork May 2020, my wbc was 3.2, down from 3.4 in Dec 2019. I used to be around 5, 2 years ago but whe I switched to a whole food plant based diet my numbers went down to the low 3s. I didn't know that switching to WFPB diet would lower my wbc because I was concerned. (I'm also fighting with IBS or some sort of gut issue that causes me fatigue) so I thought my wbc being in the low range could be the cause of my fatigue but it's not.
This video really helps a lot! Thank you very much! My WBC became 3.5 and 2.9. I am one of the people who almost never gets sick and I am considered pretty healthy person. Thank you very much! My diet consist of vegan diet.
I smoke, hardly exercise, eat meat all though not a lot or often and my wbc was still 3.5. Now I’m scared I stop smoking and it goes down even more
7 ปีที่แล้ว +8
Bad joke [6:06]: _"Bone marrow of those eating traditional plant-based diet has the capacity to create as many white_ [blood] _cells as needed but suffers from understimulation. They're just not smoking enough cigarettes and (Hah) eating… as many inflammatory foods."_ -Michael Greger.
I think the very big takeaway is: get your CRP tested (hs-CRP) and if that is low, a low WBC reference range is 3.1-9. I always have my CRP tested as it’s a good indicator or systematic inflammation.
Mine is 2.6. My oncologist is concerned it’s too low. Thanks to this video I’m not worried. I do suffer from an autoimmune disease called NMO Neuromyelitis optica. But try to eat a good diet.
Actually it might be a good thing. Being actually anemic maybe not, and having some condition that causes you to be anemic,maybe not. But i read a study recently where the higher the blood levels the worse health outcomes over a long period (on average of course). It theorised less oxygen (from relative hypoxia of cells) caused less oxidation and less cell aging
The results in this study have more to do with caloric restriction then having a so called plant base diet. I my self got an even lower WBC of 2.6 with a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting.
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO! My normal WBC was always 3.3 to 3.5, now 2.7 to 3.3. without any reason. My C Reactive Protein and Sed rate are also super low, showing no inflammation. I'm 62, only take Armor NATURAL Thyroid for meds, exercise at the gym and I'm the same weight as in high school. I eat organic and VERY healthy, rarely eat meat, no alcohol. I also heard that women's WBC lowers in their older years anyway. Not sure if this is true? I truly appreciate this information!
great video. Any suggestions what screening blood work a person should get for cardiovascular screening if we are pretty healthy/ Is C-reactive Protein, homocysteine and WBC counts enough, just as a general screen?
So interesting! My friend just finished chemo a few months ago and went fully vegan and doctors say her WBC is too low. Is this still a good sign or is it different after chemo?
Mine was 6.5 but I use to smoke a lot and was not fasting at the time plus I use to eat a lot of junk food. Maybe now it’s a lot lower. Plus I had tonsillitis and I just got them removed 3 weeks ago. Yeah and now I’m full whole food vegan diet I’m going to have my test done next week.
@@hopelessromantic2994 Hey, I end up losing almost 30 kg, but I'm no longer on keto. Keto and IF was fitting well in my first approach to dieting. Now I'm focused on protein and calories (no matter carbs or fat). In the case of WBC, it has risen since I posted the previous comment, but I don't have the exact number after keto.
I lost 22 kilos in about 3 months (96 kilos to 74 ) and my WBC went from 5.90 to 4.25. The only way to know if it’s a healthy level is if the WBC can still hit the required number to fight off illness. So far so good.
I had a high WBC on every test when I was younger; the doctors never had an answer and said I must have a little virus. I've recently had some tests, so I'll have to look at it and post it here. But I wonder how much food allergies cause WBC to go up. Since becoming an adult, I've found that all my symptoms of illness went down when I figured out what my allergies are. It is so maddening to know all of my symptoms were caused by food, but the doctors never thought about it even though the symptoms were classic.
Crazy to see everyone saying the same thing in the comments. I have also been told my WBC is too low. Seeing a lot of research showing that a whole-food, plant-based diet drops it and so does exercise. What if you do both, eat well and are very active? Drops even more. Now I'm wondering what Dr. Greger would say is TOO low. When does it actually become an issue? I'm guessing it would at some point, but great to see helpful info like this.
Mine were 1.62 and then 1.67 a month later. Male, age 41. Doctor never raised it as it was just about in the reference range used, but still I'm concerned. This video helped though. How are you doing now?
@@jamesbrock9022 I've read one reason could be that since inflammation goes down on Keto, our body doesn't need to produce that much white blood cells 🤔 Not sure if that's right, I hope so, hope it's not anything serious. My WBC is now normal again, hoping it corrects itself for you too 🙏 Also, I've read diet variation is important and once in a while incorporating healthy complex carbs, like yams, etc. can be helpful and constantly being on ketosis can be counterproductive in the long run 🤷
@emanuel same after just 1half months on keto my ebc dropped from 4.99 -3.6 and my uric acid wemt up, did you stopped keto? Or you jst added carbs what exatcly you eat in a day coz im skinny so i ate a lotof healthy fats like 3 servimgs of macadamia and 5-7 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil for me not to get yo skinny. Hope youbreply
All the information here does not fit with what I have been reading about low neutrophils. I score very low on neutrophils from blood tests, like 1,46 and normal range is set to be above 2.0 or 2.5 (cant remember exactly) and the consequence with having low neutrophils is that your body has issues combatting bacterial and fungus infections, so that's not good. Also cuts on your skin, you will have issues healing with low neutrophils and also issues with sores in mouth on your gums, tongue etc. This video is saying having low counts of white blood cells is good but from all the danish sources I read, it's not good being low.
I was worried about mine. Been dropping for a year at least. Been 7 months on plant based diet. Do have fatigue. Think it's more hormonal. Thank you for this video.
I am dealing with low wbc 2.8uL however it's my low absolute neutrophil count (1032uL) in combination that is concerning. This number was higher 3 months ago at 1551 uL. My primary doctor ignored it for months only focusing on raising my Vitamin D levels. I am grateful as I was deficient but now those numbers are healthy and despite my concerns over my WBC (and now with the ANC having dropped) I am switching doctors and deepening my research as well as upleveling my preventative care including focusing on my diet (as always). Any informed input on this matter is greatly appreciated, please. Thank you!
To add I haven't been sick (even with a common cold) since December 2014, and I rarely got sick before then too however I do feel fatigued with other symptoms, thank you.
I'm at 3.11 (10E9/L) Reference range in SWE (3.5 - 8.8) So im at the lowest of the "new" ref range according to greger. No meat, alcohol or smoking in 6 years.
What about high CRP levels? I am concerned as I was told this is a sign of heart disease. I have very high CRP and would love to get it to the normal range. Any information about CRP what it is, what it means, how can it be lowered would be appreciated.
Dr. Greger explained it in this video. CRP (C-reactive protein) is another marker for inflammation. you can lower it through living healthy: eating a whole food plant based diet, (moderate) exercising and avoiding smoking.
Been under 4 (3.2-3.7) for over a year. I eat whole veg and clean proteins...all the good fats...raw dairy...eggs...french wheat...and a whole slew of supplements. Except massively fatigued and having random inflammation in knuckles. Eliminated the usual arthritis, tendonitis, carpel tunnel suspects. Its really strange. Perhaps stress induced?
My recent blood test came back with a WBC of 4.1. Honestly a bit surprising to me, considering I'm asthmatic and suffering from allergies quite a bit in the summer. Also I suffer from anxiety causing me stress, which can raise WBC. So I have pretty much constant low grade inflammation, but according to my lab results a WBC on the lower end of the normal range (they noted normal range as 4.0-10.0). Not quite sure how that works.
The same for me, I have even lower WBC and still have allergies and psoriasis, both auto-immune disorders. But I am thinking: these are not ACTUAL inflammations, so the body only treats them as such, so maybe the WB cells just arent fooled by that and 'see' that there is not real infllammation
Perhaps a plant based diet is not so necessary…. As a healthy 63 yr old, eating clean keto/carnivore diet for years, my WBC count has ranged between 2.9 and 4.6. 22 years of data.
The longer I was vegan and started exercising every day the lower my white blood cell count became. My doctor wondered why so she sent me to a hematologist who after running every test couldn't come up with a reason. NO ONE asked me a single thing about my diet. I'm so sick of doctors knowing nothing about nutrition.
Same thing happened to me. Mine vacillates between 2.7 and 3.1. I'm never sick and heal up quick from cuts. My white count dropped after just modest changes toward a vegan diet. I am still overweight though. Anyway, it was a expensive and a worry when I was referred to an oncologist. I'm so glad Dr. Gregor finally did this video.
patty 8873
They don't learn it!
patty 8873 Same case here. Vegan for 20 years now. Wbc count is always "too low" for the doctors...if only they knew better!
patty 8873 yeah I don't see why they aren't being required to learn it. Maybe in the past people didn't know much about the connection. But now the evidence is overwhelming. If they really want to give their patients the best care possible, they need to take some nutrition classes.
I know one of the vegan doctors mentioned it. They tried to introduce a new requirement, and doctors got all pissy about it so it never went through.
Thank you for sharing! I think that since some few people in the population have a healthy diet, your results must really stand out, in a good way. But of course regular docs never talk about diet, so ignorant. Just reading your comments I'm getting second hand pissoffness. Get on with the program already, docs!
OMG i almost cry reading my lab result for the 3rd time my wbc is always so low around 3. Im so afraid that i hv cancer of something but then i read comments here, thank you guys!!!!! I fee better
Same here
Same here.
My best friend has 2.8. And was wondering the same thing and worried...but he is whole food plant based so I guess thats common. I also have 3.8 whichi isnt super either.
Same here. My WBC is consistently around 3.0 and my doctor is referring me to a hematologist to figure out what’s wrong. I have been on ketone diet for years, eating tons of leafy vegetables, olive oils, and moderate amount of meats, eggs, nuts, and seeds.
Same here, mine is 2.65😨
I just looked mine up, I got WBC of 3.4. I'm a 44y/o nonsmoking, non-drinking, vegan & follow as much of Dr Gregors advice as I can.
Matthew Martin does your wive looks older than you? 😁
eat more mushrooms, fruits, onions, spices, dark leafy veggies and nuts (in different varietes) and it will even go down more.
Matthew Martin I got 4.2 should I be worried ?
Matthew Martin I just got 3.8 and I am worried. All other blood cell tests came out as normal. I’m hoping all is ok. In the last year I’ve tried really hard and well to eat healthy...
Omotunde Femi-Pearse I have 4.2 I’m 35 and active. Am I healthy? Is the goal to have 0? What’s the goal here?
I REALLY wish physicians were given nutritional studies…so many are so quick to run test test test and NEVER ask about lifestyle! My WBC for the past 3 years have been hovering btwn 2.7-2.8. NO ONE asked me about my diet! Thank you so much!!
@Jos Ryder I had mine checked about three weeks ago and it was 6.1 three weeks later I was 5.7 different labs. Should be concerned or it depends on each lab and what they test for?
2.8 for me and don’t remember when I was sick since I cut out meat, dairy and processed food and ate whole food plant base.
I'm there right now, and they're treating me like I'm dying! No meat.
Im a bit of the opposite as I eat mostly meat, no processed foods and alot of water. I came in right at 2.8 and my Dr. wants to run tests. These normal ratios are more for the typical american junk food diet. Stay healthy!
@@wc6423 - Agree! I used to be a lacto-vegetarian but a medication put a lot of weight on me and I felt too hungry on a lower calorie diet, so I went on the Paleo diet and lost 40 lbs. with no hunger, while eating meat twice a day. I've been on Paleo for 1 1/2 yrs. now. My White count dropped to 3.5, the first time it's ever been "too low".
@@wc6423 I am same on a low carb diet. found this site after CBC showing low WBC. sent to hematologist next week. But I am in great shape and doubt very much it is anything outside what is outlined here, not vegetarian as much as it is cutting out the crap. has your cholesterol gone up? mine is going up, so off to cardiologist, he say eat plant based, but I am now in camp saying cholesterol/LDL not issue so this week results of my NMR lipoprotein test are due; let's look at LDL particle size. anyway interesting video and the previous one.
@wc6423 same here. I'm ketovore and 2.8. No to very few plants, but also no ultra processed junk. I was concerned about cancer until I began listening to this. Also, my oncologist said not to come to his office unless I was under 2.0, IIRC.
This video has me relieved, wow! I had a WBC count of 3.95 and the doctor had me so worried. This is my healthiest year so far, with no medication at all, not even simple painkillers, yet the doctor thinks I have a problem. I've never done the test before so I can't tell if it has changed or not. I feel good.
That’s the same number I have, the nurse called me today and said that my doctor isn’t worried about it, she just wanted me to have another blood draw. I’ve been freaking out. I talked to my dad and he said he has done them the same thing. He said his doctor told him that numbers isn’t so bad, start taking I’m sure he said vitamin B-12, his next bloodwork was fine. I’ve read so much today about this. I’m very healthy and have no issues.I don’t get sick, however this past year my diet has been horrible and I know my eating is out of wack. In 2020 mom passed and then this pandemic, life has just been stressful and I have anxiety. I really think after all I’ve read..this may be my problem. Stress, anxiety and not eating right !! I’m trying to not worry, but it’s hard. I’m not sure my insurance will pay for more bloodwork, I’ll have to call them. But I’m 63, very energetic and have been around so many people with Covid, my husband had Covid and I’ve never gotten it. I walk all the time and work out. I just really think it boils down to not eating right, so it’s time to get back to making time to eat right
2.9 for me... haven't been sick in over a year
That is good to know I was worried about 3.7
@@makegeorgeorwellfictionaga9268 my doctor flipped she saw mine at 2.6 and my fasting insulin at 2.9 on a Ketogenic diet.
Legend
@@eliakimbenishchayil healthy
Ella kim are you still on keto now?
Wow! This is a life changing information seriously. My husband's doctor said his white blood cell count is at a lower side so she is worried and got us worried so much. I have not seen any information like this anywhere. I feel so relieved and at the same time, so disappointed at how most of doctors have no idea about what is going on. Thank you so much Dr. Michael!
Same here I eat healthy now its a problem lol
Medicine is the cure lol business
Wow. My WBC was 4.0 and was flagged as low. I was worried! Thanks Dr. Gregor :)
It's near the low end. I just read 3.5 to 10 is normal.
Smoke more cigarettes
@@Joseph1NJ mines is 3.2 I’m scared
@@ceyciemateo9411 was that a joke?
Exactly 4.0 too! I feel good. Here in Europe the normal range is given from 4.0 to 10.0.
I’ve been in the 3.0 to 3.7 range my whole life and I eat meat but I also excersise 6 days a week and I hardly eat any processed foods. Plus I don’t drink or smoke. The average American does not fall into that category, thus the range of 4.5-10
Sometimes think doctors are over drama, your post makes me feel better, I just found out mine is 3.95.My doctor isn’t worried but wants me to do another blood draw in 2 weeks. I’m not sure,my insurance will pay for another one and I really don’t want to do it again. I feel totally great and never get sick. If I were having issues, I wouldn’t mind testing again. I just think they need to consider other things ????
Para how old are you now and what diet are you into?
I was recently sent to a blood specialist to run further tests because they were alarmed with my low white blood cell count. I was freaking out because I was in a waiting room with a lot of cancer patients, too many to count. They asked me all these cancer related questions...
I conclude that I am Vegan and simply healthy 😊
Toskana Cruz I’m going to a blood specialist I’m so nervous
I can empathize, I went to an oncologist today and felt the same way
How are you doing by the way?
Yup
I kinda know how that feels. My low white blood cell count and a slightly larger lymph node had me seeing an oncologist for 3 visits last year. The questionnaires at the university medical center were certainly a gloomy read, but I understand that they're doing research on the psychology of the cancer patients too.
Definately a connection to diet & exercise. In May of 2021 I became concerned about Covid inactivity, weight gain and high triglycerides. So, decided change was in order. Went full-on Keto, intermittent fasting (16/8) and walking one hour every day. Triglycerides dropped from 170s to 40s, white count also went down from 4.9 to between 2.9 - 3.8 ….All with good energy, great sleep & return to college weight at 70+ yrs old.
Boy that's a relief! Have done the same thing. Keto, IF, and walking. My neutrophils were in the 3's and the doc is taking them over in 3 months. Meanwhile I got alarmed. I'm pretty darn healthy at 63, my alt, is normal now and so is my thyroid. My lipid panel is great, but doc was concerned about high cholesterol and ldls. Hdl and Trigl, stellar. After listening to some keto docs I find I'm just fine. And this info just sealed the deal! Thanks for sharing, I wondered I the keto could be the reason for lower wbc!
Thank you Dr. Greger, I was tested twice for low wbc, 3.8. I am very relieved now. I feel great and rarely get mildly sick.
How are you holding up?
Wooooooahhhh, DR GREGER THANK YOU. When I got my test results back saying I had a WBC count of 3.35, I freaked out and thought I was sick with something. Now I know that’s a good thing! I’m gonna keep doing what I’m doing.
I just saw mine 3.1 and was concerned but found this video too!
@@bluebirdnerd same! I am a person who almost never get sick. I am strictly vegan diet and I have very low fat. My test become 3.5 and 2.9. I was concerned but I found this video.
Brilliant research! Thank you Dr. Greger! Now I'm going to celebrate my low, low, low WBC!🎉 Great news!! You're the best!! Cheers to exercise & a whole food plant based diet! 🌿🌎💚
Perhaps the reason that white blood cell count is reduced on a plant based diet is due to a reduction in the pH of bodily fluids. When our sinus fluid, urine, joint fluid, or any other fluid besides our blood, is too acidic it breaks down tissue more quickly. It's like when people marinade foods to break down their tissue. The more acid we produce to digest animals and processed foods the more acidic our fluids become and the more dead cells we have to clean out and replace. The acidic fluids age us quicker, cause swelling, and cause an increase in white blood cells needed to help clear out the excess dead tissue. I hope someone will study the correlation between white blood cell count and pH of bodily fluids. pH could be an even cheaper indication of disease that people could monitor at home.
Vegan nutrition makes it easier for your body to maintain the pH value in the normal range.
The fluids are not less acidic. If they were less acidic then you would have problems. The body maintains a healthy balance whether you eat a lot of meat or not. But being vegan makes the job for the body much easier.
This video really helps a lot! Thank you very much! My WBC became 3.5 and 2.9. I am one of the people who almost never gets sick and I am considered pretty healthy person. Thank you very much!
There's a lot of angles to this story and I wish Dr. Greger would go into more detail on this in either his blog or a future video. Definitely, low WBC could be of concern to some folks and always they should seek out a qualified doctor's guidance on their own situation.
That said, here is my story. I was a typical SAD (Standard American Diet == Meat) eater for my first 50+ years and had all the bad side effects of that lifestyle. My WBC on my annual CBCs were consistently in 3.7 - 4.5 range. The 3.x's always worried me, but my docs said it's fine at that level. About 3+ years ago, I gave up meat entirely and moved to a complete WFPB / Vegan diet and have never felt better. But, when I started getting back my CBC results, it terrified me. My first WBC after a year was 3.5, then 3.1, then (yikes 2.8!).
So, I began investigating everywhere I could and of course, Dr. Greger has some great resources. So does Dr. Klaper (another WFPB doc), who in one video states that 2.8 and so on is not unusual for LT Vegans. And he gets asked by Hematologists - so this tells you how poorly this information is circulating out there.
Another resource I found in my search said some folks just have a genetic tendency to have lower WBCs. This sounded interesting so I polled my siblings, who are the complete opposite of WFPB eaters. Sure enough - same #'s as I used to have - 3.5, 3.7, 4.1 etc. So, low or under the usual guidelines - and that as regular meat eaters.
Last piece - and it's kinda funny. One year I was at a conference and had to grab a quick lunch. I was hungry and the menu ( I thought !) said "almost chicken sandwich". It was good, so I had two of them. Turns out, I read it wrong - it WAS chicken. Uggh! Two days later, I had my annual physical w/ CBC. My WBC had shot up from 3.1 to 3.7, I am guessing from the meat. A year later, back to sub 3.0 again.
Anyway, take this as just my personal experience, but I sure wish one of the widely followed research docs would do a deeper dive on this, taking into consideration there are genetic tendencies for some folks to start at much lower WBC's than others, so when they drop down 25% from their meat eating days, they go down to these levels that look scary on paper. While the majority of Vegan folks drop similarly from a higher value and are not flagged as too low.
thank you for sharing your story, it helps a lot
24 years old and my WBC has ranged from 2.3 to 3.2 over the last 5 years, No explanation. But i've felt good, no issues don't feel tired.
You still feel good?
My most recent WBCs were at 4,000. They've been a little lower before, and the doctor had me all panicked, but I rarely get sick and feel like I have a pretty robust immune system.
Huh, I am always getting flagged for low WBC on my blood work. I was sent to hematologist for dropping under 4 several times. Not a vegan though, I just don't eat much processed food. Looks like nothing to worry about. In fact quite the opposite.
gwynedd1 Neutrophils is what counts..Not the WTC
@@dannyirishgreene9309 what’s considering normal, im always on the lower end of neutrophils at 1.5 and wbc 3.5 but mg hematologist said im all good
Yeah, my cardiologist is freaking out over my 3.7 WBC and 0.9 Lymphocytes, I'm 72 yo male, raw vegan & do 3 hrs of exercise daily, almost put me in a panic, I'm losing faith in the modern medical system. Thank you for posting the video!!!!
My WBC count is slightly lower then average, I have no infection, no issues, have not missed work for the last 10 years. The Dr seemed to suggest this is an issue, Thanks for being a educator and providing this. (but I do eat organic eggs, and organic , raw cheese but moderately and eat mostly vegetables, olives, olive oil, berries and that is about it.
probably pushing pills
Stay woke business only keep up good work
Hi, Could you also add the links to the studies and or paper you used in the video? It would be great to do reviews and check the sources.. Thank you.
Right after I went vegan, about two years ago my WBC was at 4.0 & a few months ago it was 3.1. I've been vegan for two years and before that vegetarian. Don't smoke, don't drink and my vit B12 is normal range. This last time my doctor referred me to a hematologist and the hematologist found nothing wrong. They tested my WBC three weeks later and it jumped to 4.2! The only change in my life style was that I added an additional 80g of fat per day into my diet at the time (since I was doing a raw vegan cleanse) and needed A LOT of fat in my diet to make it sustainable for me. Before that I followed a HCLF diet. It's interesting now knowing what I've experienced and seeing the correlation between fat, inflammation and WBC. Dr. G keep up the good work!
Thanks Dr. G....greatly appreciate all you do...
3.6 on WBC here...so go WFPB no oil vegan!
Vegan For The Animals Ⓥ Neutrophils is what counts
What was the actual number range for an ideal white count. I think I missed it. Does it start at 3?
Carolyn Hill 4.5
Thanks!
The lower the better. 3.11 seems to be very very good
Carolyn Hill He never actually gives one. One paper recommended a change to the bottom end of the reference range from 4.5 to 3.11. A population with WFPB diet averaged 5.
He didn't ever say "the lower the better" as far as i could tell.
Carolyn Hill Nope..4 - 11
I started low-carb/keto diet(all whole food), dropped some weight, and I feel great. I noticed that my WBC was about 3.3, had it redone for a 3.5 (4 - 12 normal range for this lab). I kept looking for information on this topic and I drew blank until I see this. It all makes sense now. My inflammation markers are equally low. I like my low WBC now!!
Though, all the pro-vegan propaganda is naturally totally BS; whole foods are the key to minimize inflammation. Clean meats are not inflammatory
*3 meses siendo Plantbased y mis glóbulos blancos bajaron increíblemente. Lo comprobé por estudios de laboratorio que me hice, no sólo eso, muchas cosas más que descubrí!!!! Gracias Doctor!!!!*
no habla
can you do a vid on neutrophils cnt vs wbc count
THIS VIDEO IS SO HELPFUL!
Is 2.2 good or too low? I didn't quite get what the ideal number is...
@@Roosyer mine was 2.5 and I was told I had leukopenia and sent to a hematologist oncologist. How are you doing now?
Can you please do a video on RBCs? What is high blood clotting caused by?
OMG this is Gold!! 5:35. This is exactly what I Was hoping to find! I was always told my WBC was too low. But the scale is an American based diet. I've always cook my own food and eat fairly clean. Thank you so much for this info!
So eat more plants, do more excersice, got it!
Eelke Aptroot and drink more water :p
It's so simple that no one can charge for this advice and so companies don't want to tell you..
My WBC counts were taken twice due to the doc saying they were too low, regardless of the fact that everything else came back perfectly fine, 1st panel was: 2.9 and my second was: 3.2,
I'm 31. Vegan for 2 years. I eat Whole Foods mixed with faux meats/cheeses every so often. I do not use any tobacco, and I drink wine occasionally.
Looks like I'm pretty fucking healthy 😊
Vegan Tina hello, please avoid the cursing. Thank you. Have a nice day
KingElrosTarMinyatur I appreciate your suggestion but will gladly decline. Have a great fucking day 👍
Curious if they ever found any other issue. Mine is between 2.8 and 4 the last 3 times and they want me to goto a specialist
Vegan Tina Except with those counts wouldn't you be diagnosed with leukemia??
Vegan Tina That's very low..but hey u are healthy..so whtvr
I eat low carb high fat (every meal is fatty meat + veggies) and my wbc count always sits between 3.6-3.8. I would assume what we LCHF and vegetarians/vegans have in common is that we all are health focused so we eliminate processed foods, exercise, don't smoke, etc.
@matimus are you still doing keto now? My wbc from 4.99 to 3.68 after 1half months of LCHF diet since i am skinny i ate a lot of fats but healthy fats like 3 seving of macadamia 5-7 tbsp of olive oil and avocado oil everyday which i mix in salad of cooking.
@@hopelessromantic2994 My diet hasn't really changed, it's not keto but basically meat, organs, fruit, some veggies, and dairy (homemade yogurt mostly). When I'm bulking at the gym I throw in some carb sources like sweet potatoes. I've been effortlessly lean all these years and feel great so I have no intention of changing anything.
@@mattimus13are your wbc still low today? And is ive said im skinny and became under weight since keto so i cant eat also a lot of meat since my URIC ACID went up also since doing keto so do you think eating like 6-10 tbsp of olive or avocado oil ia safe for me since ita healthy fats for me tobgain weight coz i dont know what to eat to gain weight, thanks for your reply
@@hopelessromantic2994 I don't know about my wbc, haven't had it re-tested in years but I'd assume it's the same. As for oils honestly I'm not a fan, I don't use them at all. I wouldn't stress too much about this diet stuff, as long as you're eating unprocessed whole foods like meats, organs, veggies, fruits, dairy, etc. just play around and find what works for you.
@@mattimus13 how many grams of carbs you eat in a day? Im thngkng of addng up rice now again tp my diet but im afraid itbwould raise my pre diabetic agaim and hbp as well as hihh uric acid. Thanks for replying btw
I just watching this after my doctor was so concern about my WBC dropping down every year since I did start eating a whole food plant based diet. My WBC values came from 8,.5 to 3.5 now. I never had been sick since start eating plant based food
Sad how the medical industry doesnt truly care about helping people
Jean C Nope they don't give a Fook about us..only thr families
Profit driven. In America, your entire culture has been financialized, including prisons and medicine.
Wow, thank you for this video. I just got blood work done and it was 3.8 and immediately got anxiety and thought I had cancer. This reassures me because I recently switched to a whole food diet about two months ago. I do eat meat but only lean cuts and I add saturated fats (for good skin health) by using refined coconut oil for cooking. It's crazy because I actually dropped quite a lot lower then all those studies. I was at 7 November of last year and now I'm half that. Whole food diet is the way to go....
I'm 63 and far from being a vegetarian... My diet is high in the consumption of eggs, and meat. I also consume, butter, cheese, nuts, whole vegetables, and occasionally fruit. I stay away from processed foods, most oils (with the exception of coconut, avocado, and olive), and I especially avoid sugar. I maintain a healthy weight and I exercise regularly. My most recent blood work showed me within the normal range in everything except LDL (borderline high but triglycerides are normal) and white blood cell count which came in at 4.1... I take no medications and my blood pressure is normally around 110/65. My doctor tells me I'm in better shape than my men half my age... My girlfriend says so too 😉
@@billstewartkyokushinkarate Yeah, I didn't even realize how much added sugar and processed foods increases inflammation. It's crazy. Just from your and mine experience it seems meat doesn't cause inflammation for some. I'm more inclined to say that many people who switch to vegetarian or vegan simple just start eating healthier with less processed foods. Who knows though. I bet this is all individual dependent.
Coconut oil isn't healthy. It's being promoted as a health food in order to sell it. It's still a lot of saturated fat and saturated fat is not healthy. I don't know much about any skin benefits from eating saturated fat, but I know what it does to your cardiovascular system.
Excellent advice. I am 3.9 x 10*9l.
They say normal is 4.0 -11
Keep fit and eat healthy .
I used to smoke, drink and eat trash food in the university about 5 years ago. Then a friend got cancer and I decided this was not the way I wanted to go I did hours of research on the internet on how to prevent cancer and heart disease from a young age hoping to undo some of the damage I did to my body. My first ever blood work at 22 Yo had a WBC of 8.2.
I stumbled upon Dr Greger's site about 3 years ago started following a plant based diet quit many bad habits smoking and drinking... I just turned 27 and went for a full blood work test... WBC is 5.02 everything else on optimal or close to optimal levels. Glad to see my body was able to heal... feeling better than ever. Thanks to Dr Grege for this very valuable videos.
please do a video on a ideal red blood count. mine is 3.96 wich is considered low on the "reference range scale" I have been to hemotologist and my blood work is great. I'm told this is just normal for me due to no other markers for concern. she says only 90 percent of population falls in reference range. you can be out side or reference range and still be perfectly healthy. have you ever come across anything like this? I have been a vegan for 8 yrs as well. thanks so much !
Nellie7777777 Only 90%..That's a lot..most people
My WBC dropped below the "reference range" in my health reports of past 5 years.
I feel relieved now after watching this video today.
This feels in line with my resting heart rate (RHR) in the 40s (bpm), also below the "reference range".
Due to doing IF everyday and averaging 11k runs/wk, I feel even more energetic and healthier than when I was in my 20s.
This is a relief. I got tested for a WBC of 2.9 roughly.
I was all sorts of nervous from ideas of having cancer or even HIV.
Such irony... Us healthy folks with low WBC and neutrophils think WE'RE the ones dying while in reality it's our loved ones with higher counts that are at higher risk and much more likely to die.. but they think their counts are fine and normal. 😢
Got my blood test recently, can't wait to see my WBC!! I hope it's low!
33y/o male. Over the years have ranged from 3.7-4.1. Causing a lot of health anxiety for me..
Any updates?
2.5 - 2.6 on multiple tests over 6 months and diagnosed with leukopenia and sent to a hematologist oncologist who said it is either MDS or leukemia even though they know I’m a vegetarian
Vegan here. WBC 2.96. Was scared now thankful 🙏
Thank you so much for this video. I have been researching this for a while and I wanted to confirm what I understood. This video made it clear. Also, to answer your question I think it is a little too inexpensive in my opinion haha. I am learning on the importance of WBC after noticing I went from 6.3 and 6.7 in 2019/2020 and getting now in 4...this year. I was in shock and thought I was maybe getting sick. I mean I was in the normal before things are changing. But, since the bottom of the range is better I can only attribute it to my fast and reducing my meat intake. I do both water and dry fasting. This is helping my food intolerances in a big way.
Mine is 2.9 and was 4.4 around a year ago. Do you think I should be concerned? I started intermittently fasting and even going whole days without eating or drinking. I think that played a roll
Likely no need to be concerned. My WBC is 2.5 and I'm perfectly healthy. 😊
@stonerwithswag mine went from 6.0 to 3.9 in 6 months, not sick although still slightly concerned in the sudden drop.
@@stonerwithswag mine was 2.5 and was told I had leukopenia and sent to a hematologist oncologist. How are you doing now?
Mine is 2.3 and i'm extremely fit and healthy.
WOW, mine is 2.7 and the doctor wants me to do a re-test and go see an oncologist.
@@ronniemead805 What ended up happening Ronnie? Mine just came back at 2.8, and my doctor said she wants to retest in 2 weeks. Naturally, I was bugging out till I saw this video. Still kinda worried. Would love to hear some feedback!
@@8BitLife69 I went to see a specialist (Oncologist). They retested me and it came back 3.9 which is normal. I think I got a mild case of COVID-19 which impacted my GI tract severely and caused extreme tiredness. After a couple of weeks the virus ran its course and I am back to normal. This virus affects people in so many different ways, it is difficult to even predict what organ or system it will affect.
Anyway, I tested at 3.9, so I am so happy I did not have cancer, I was a little worried about that.
2.8 is a bit low, but hopefully the new test will be better when you retest in two weeks.
Blessings!
@@ronniemead805 Thanks! You too!
Same
Mine dropped below the normal range when I switched to a plant-based diet, though not by a lot. The normal range is 4-11 K/µL. Mine is 3.8.
hb mine is 3.8 too. Happy healthy mostly raw vegan;);) Enjoy your health.
hb yes
Unlike everyone else in the comment section I easily eat 2lbs of meat per day. Very active, 6 workouts a week. No seed oils or processed foods. WBC has been trending down ever since I changed my diet in 2018 from 4.2-3.1. The doctor told me today that she was really concerned with it. Which made me concerned but I have no symptoms. Also I got my C-reactive protein tested a few months ago and it was 1. So I’m not too worried, thanks to this video. Great energy and gaining muscle. 28 YO Male.
Any updates on possible causes? How are your numbers?
I’m doing great. No signs of a weakened immune system. My number are at 4.2 last I checked so they did rise a whole point.
@@jamesbrock9022 Good I'm glad to hear that!
My WBC have been around 3.5 the last 4 years . It's now down to 2.5, should I be concerned?
No lower better
U fine
Haha! I got 4.0 (4.0-10.0) - The minimum that is still in the normal range. I have been vegan (healthy, wfpb) for many many years and I’m very happy with that.
Great Info!
What is the doc's WBC?
probably below 9 thousand
This answered my question. I gave up meat,dairy and sweets( occasionally indulging some bites here and there) Doctor told me my WBC was less then 4.0. I said well I gave up meat and dairy and was told that has nothing to do with it. Well yes it does.
raw vegan at 3.4 and my doc was worried a bit but I immediate thought of it being a good thing possibhly
My latest WBC was 2.5! 🎉 I've been vegetarian since I was 16, so it's always been "low". Now that I'm 49 years old, WFPB vegan for many years, exercise regularly, and don't drink alcohol, it's even lower. Plus, after much Google researching, I'm learning that people of African descent, especially West Africans, tend to have much lower WBC and neutrophil counts than those of European descent. So, 2.5 is perfect, fine, and healthy and I'm not dying of some mystery disease! 😂 So thankful we have Dr. Greger!!! ❤😊
how do u feel?
@@AndriiPruskyiI feel great! I'm never sick. 🤷🏾♀️😊
I and several of my family have M.E., which current research suggests is something inflammatory/immune-related.
Back in 2009 (after about 8 years of ME) my WBC was 7.5. I've since then tried an anti-inflammatory diet, plus more recently stopped eating meat and taken up (organic) food-growing and some easy cycling. So, I'm wondering what my reading would be now in 2017.
Not sure how to get the test done, but I'll come back here when I do.
You can just go to any normal clinic and let them know that you want to do a blood test, your insurance _may_ cover it, check first since blood tests are very expensive. My blood test was $250 (but insurance covered $200), but another person's was $2000+ (blood test for different reasons).
Okay, finally...drumroll...6.1. A decrease, but not a dramatic one, given all the changes I made. I felt averagely crap on that day too.
On the other hand. my CRP is < 1, suggesting no inflammation.
Just great!
Checked my bloodwork May 2020, my wbc was 3.2, down from 3.4 in Dec 2019. I used to be around 5, 2 years ago but whe I switched to a whole food plant based diet my numbers went down to the low 3s. I didn't know that switching to WFPB diet would lower my wbc because I was concerned. (I'm also fighting with IBS or some sort of gut issue that causes me fatigue) so I thought my wbc being in the low range could be the cause of my fatigue but it's not.
Blessed
Stay woke
My WBC is 4.1
Amazing information and explanation. Many thanks to you Sir.
This video really helps a lot! Thank you very much! My WBC became 3.5 and 2.9. I am one of the people who almost never gets sick and I am considered pretty healthy person. Thank you very much! My diet consist of vegan diet.
I smoke, hardly exercise, eat meat all though not a lot or often and my wbc was still 3.5. Now I’m scared I stop smoking and it goes down even more
Bad joke [6:06]: _"Bone marrow of those eating traditional plant-based diet has the capacity to create as many white_ [blood] _cells as needed but suffers from understimulation. They're just not smoking enough cigarettes and (Hah) eating… as many inflammatory foods."_ -Michael Greger.
I loved it hahaha
haha
Mine is 2.98 in my last Easter exam...never known it were such an important data...interesting enough, the reference range is considered 4 to 11 !
anything over 8 is not that great , I heard .
Thank you. I'm now a bit more informed. :)
Long term vegan here. last year my WBC was 4.5 and this year it was 4.7
I think the very big takeaway is: get your CRP tested (hs-CRP) and if that is low, a low WBC reference range is 3.1-9. I always have my CRP tested as it’s a good indicator or systematic inflammation.
And I cannot fix the typo. Read: systemic
Love your videos. Lots of health benefits from WFPD that scientists are not fully aware of or understand.
Mine is 2.6. My oncologist is concerned it’s too low. Thanks to this video I’m not worried. I do suffer from an autoimmune disease called NMO Neuromyelitis optica. But try to eat a good diet.
What about RBC? Is that supposed to be lower as well?
akbanhegyi No. RBC is your actual blood. Lower numbers can lead to or mean Anemic levels, especially in conjunction with low Iron levels
akbanhegyi no. that's not a good thing.
drnycmedia my hematocrit is low but ferritin is fine
Raigou tested B12 it's fine. skin is great no wrinkles and elastic
Actually it might be a good thing. Being actually anemic maybe not, and having some condition that causes you to be anemic,maybe not. But i read a study recently where the higher the blood levels the worse health outcomes over a long period (on average of course). It theorised less oxygen (from relative hypoxia of cells) caused less oxidation and less cell aging
The results in this study have more to do with caloric restriction then having a so called plant base diet. I my self got an even lower WBC of 2.6 with a ketogenic diet and intermittent fasting.
Me too great work keep it up don't fall on medication trap its a business
What if you have a high WBC but low auto leukocyte percentage?
Thanks
THANK YOU FOR THIS VIDEO! My normal WBC was always 3.3 to 3.5, now 2.7 to 3.3. without any reason. My C Reactive Protein and Sed rate are also super low, showing no inflammation. I'm 62, only take Armor NATURAL Thyroid for meds, exercise at the gym and I'm the same weight as in high school. I eat organic and VERY healthy, rarely eat meat, no alcohol. I also heard that women's WBC lowers in their older years anyway. Not sure if this is true? I truly appreciate this information!
great video. Any suggestions what screening blood work a person should get for cardiovascular screening if we are pretty healthy/ Is C-reactive Protein, homocysteine and WBC counts enough, just as a general screen?
So interesting! My friend just finished chemo a few months ago and went fully vegan and doctors say her WBC is too low. Is this still a good sign or is it different after chemo?
Mine was 6.5 but I use to smoke a lot and was not fasting at the time plus I use to eat a lot of junk food. Maybe now it’s a lot lower. Plus I had tonsillitis and I just got them removed 3 weeks ago. Yeah and now I’m full whole food vegan diet I’m going to have my test done next week.
Thanks, vegan pal, I'm on keto and IF, I dropped 15 kg and I wonder what is going on with my WBCs. Best wishes.
How are you now? im on keto and my wbc dropped to 3.6 are you still keto?
@@hopelessromantic2994 Hey, I end up losing almost 30 kg, but I'm no longer on keto. Keto and IF was fitting well in my first approach to dieting. Now I'm focused on protein and calories (no matter carbs or fat).
In the case of WBC, it has risen since I posted the previous comment, but I don't have the exact number after keto.
I lost 22 kilos in about 3 months (96 kilos to 74 ) and my WBC went from 5.90 to 4.25. The only way to know if it’s a healthy level is if the WBC can still hit the required number to fight off illness. So far so good.
I had a high WBC on every test when I was younger; the doctors never had an answer and said I must have a little virus. I've recently had some tests, so I'll have to look at it and post it here. But I wonder how much food allergies cause WBC to go up. Since becoming an adult, I've found that all my symptoms of illness went down when I figured out what my allergies are. It is so maddening to know all of my symptoms were caused by food, but the doctors never thought about it even though the symptoms were classic.
Crazy to see everyone saying the same thing in the comments. I have also been told my WBC is too low. Seeing a lot of research showing that a whole-food, plant-based diet drops it and so does exercise. What if you do both, eat well and are very active? Drops even more. Now I'm wondering what Dr. Greger would say is TOO low. When does it actually become an issue? I'm guessing it would at some point, but great to see helpful info like this.
My neutrophils are 1.8 - 29 year old male vegetarian. My doctor is a little concerned should I be worried?
Aniol1349 how are you doing
Mine were 1.62 and then 1.67 a month later. Male, age 41. Doctor never raised it as it was just about in the reference range used, but still I'm concerned. This video helped though. How are you doing now?
No
Title: Ideal White
Me looking for the Anime Theme Song with that name:
I have no way to finish that sentence
I have a 2.9 WBC.
I went on the Keto diet and my white blood cell count has gone down a lot...can a Keto diet cause this?? 🤔
Same thing happened to me. Been dropping steadily for four years. At 3.1 now.
@@jamesbrock9022
I've read one reason could be that since inflammation goes down on Keto, our body doesn't need to produce that much white blood cells 🤔
Not sure if that's right, I hope so, hope it's not anything serious. My WBC is now normal again, hoping it corrects itself for you too 🙏
Also, I've read diet variation is important and once in a while incorporating healthy complex carbs, like yams, etc. can be helpful and constantly being on ketosis can be counterproductive in the long run 🤷
@emanuel same after just 1half months on keto my ebc dropped from 4.99 -3.6 and my uric acid wemt up, did you stopped keto? Or you jst added carbs what exatcly you eat in a day coz im skinny so i ate a lotof healthy fats like 3 servimgs of macadamia and 5-7 tbsp of olive oil or avocado oil for me not to get yo skinny. Hope youbreply
All the information here does not fit with what I have been reading about low neutrophils. I score very low on neutrophils from blood tests, like 1,46 and normal range is set to be above 2.0 or 2.5 (cant remember exactly) and the consequence with having low neutrophils is that your body has issues combatting bacterial and fungus infections, so that's not good.
Also cuts on your skin, you will have issues healing with low neutrophils and also issues with sores in mouth on your gums, tongue etc.
This video is saying having low counts of white blood cells is good but from all the danish sources I read, it's not good being low.
I was worried about mine. Been dropping for a year at least. Been 7 months on plant based diet. Do have fatigue. Think it's more hormonal. Thank you for this video.
Any updates?
I am dealing with low wbc 2.8uL however it's my low absolute neutrophil count (1032uL) in combination that is concerning. This number was higher 3 months ago at 1551 uL. My primary doctor ignored it for months only focusing on raising my Vitamin D levels. I am grateful as I was deficient but now those numbers are healthy and despite my concerns over my WBC (and now with the ANC having dropped) I am switching doctors and deepening my research as well as upleveling my preventative care including focusing on my diet (as always). Any informed input on this matter is greatly appreciated, please. Thank you!
To add I haven't been sick (even with a common cold) since December 2014, and I rarely got sick before then too however I do feel fatigued with other symptoms, thank you.
Hey, any recent update Karin?
I'm at 3.11 (10E9/L) Reference range in SWE (3.5 - 8.8)
So im at the lowest of the "new" ref range according to greger. No meat, alcohol or smoking in 6 years.
What about high CRP levels? I am concerned as I was told this is a sign of heart disease. I have very high CRP and would love to get it to the normal range. Any information about CRP what it is, what it means, how can it be lowered would be appreciated.
Dr. Greger explained it in this video.
CRP (C-reactive protein) is another marker for inflammation.
you can lower it through living healthy: eating a whole food plant based diet, (moderate) exercising and avoiding smoking.
I'm on a ketogenic diet and eat fatty meats and fish, eggs, some veggies and so on. My wbc count is at 5.0. Not overweight and rarely exercising.
Been under 4 (3.2-3.7) for over a year. I eat whole veg and clean proteins...all the good fats...raw dairy...eggs...french wheat...and a whole slew of supplements. Except massively fatigued and having random inflammation in knuckles. Eliminated the usual arthritis, tendonitis, carpel tunnel suspects. Its really strange. Perhaps stress induced?
My recent blood test came back with a WBC of 4.1. Honestly a bit surprising to me, considering I'm asthmatic and suffering from allergies quite a bit in the summer. Also I suffer from anxiety causing me stress, which can raise WBC.
So I have pretty much constant low grade inflammation, but according to my lab results a WBC on the lower end of the normal range (they noted normal range as 4.0-10.0). Not quite sure how that works.
The same for me, I have even lower WBC and still have allergies and psoriasis, both auto-immune disorders. But I am thinking: these are not ACTUAL inflammations, so the body only treats them as such, so maybe the WB cells just arent fooled by that and 'see' that there is not real infllammation
Perhaps a plant based diet is not so necessary….
As a healthy 63 yr old, eating clean keto/carnivore diet for years,
my WBC count has ranged between 2.9 and 4.6.
22 years of data.
I'm assuming no added sugar though? I also eat a lot of meat but I cut out sugar and processed foods. Went from 7 to 3.8
@@123dweaver
Right, no sugars.
Since my post, I see vegans as well as meat eaters can have ‘scary’ low WBC counts. Interesting….
@@greenmtnprepper9241 Yeah, I bet this is individual dependent but it seems the most likely culprit is processed foods and sugars.