November 2026

How to Increase a Low White Blood Cell Count

By Your Health Magazine Health Information Team

To increase a low white blood cell count, the underlying cause must be identified and treated. There is no food, supplement, or home remedy that reliably raises white blood cells quickly. Depending on the cause, recovery may involve correcting a nutrient deficiency, treating an infection or medical condition, adjusting a medication under medical supervision, or receiving a prescription medicine that stimulates white blood cell production.

First, Understand Which White Blood Cells Are Low

A white blood cell count, or WBC, measures several kinds of immune cells. These include neutrophils, lymphocytes, monocytes, eosinophils, and basophils. A result below the laboratory’s reference range is called leukopenia, but the total WBC number does not tell the whole story.

A complete blood count with differential shows which cell types are reduced. The absolute neutrophil count (ANC) is especially important because neutrophils help protect against bacterial and fungal infections. Infection risk generally increases as the ANC falls, and an ANC below 500 cells per microliter indicates a high risk of infection.

Reference ranges vary among laboratories and can differ by age and other clinical factors. A mildly low result on one test may be temporary, while a persistent or sharply declining count deserves further evaluation. The National Library of Medicine provides additional information about how a white blood count and differential are interpreted.

What Can Cause a Low WBC Count?

Knowing the cause is the key to determining how to increase white blood cells safely. Common possibilities include:

Recent infections: Some viral infections temporarily reduce white blood cell production.
Medications: Chemotherapy is a well-known cause, but certain antibiotics, antithyroid medicines, seizure medicines, immune-suppressing drugs, and other prescriptions can also affect blood counts.
Autoimmune conditions: Disorders such as lupus may destroy white blood cells or affect their production.
Bone marrow disorders: Aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndromes, leukemia, lymphoma, and cancers involving the bone marrow can reduce blood cell production.
Nutritional deficiencies: Severe deficiencies of vitamin B12, folate, or copper can contribute to low counts, often along with other blood abnormalities.
Liver or spleen disorders: An enlarged spleen may trap blood cells, while certain liver conditions can be associated with abnormal counts.
Inherited or long-term patterns: Some people have chronically lower neutrophil counts without frequent or severe infections.

White blood cells are different from red blood cells, so treatments for anemia and low red blood cell levels do not automatically raise WBCs. If both white cells and another blood cell type are reduced, the finding may be described as bicytopenia, which has several possible causes.

How Doctors May Raise a Low WBC Count

The appropriate approach depends on the severity of the count, the type of white cell affected, symptoms, and the suspected cause.

Possible cause	Potential medical approach
Temporary viral illness	Monitoring and repeating the blood count after recovery
Medication effect	Reviewing medicines and deciding whether an adjustment or alternative is appropriate
Vitamin or mineral deficiency	Confirming the deficiency and replacing the specific nutrient
Autoimmune or infectious disease	Treating the underlying condition
Cancer treatment-related neutropenia	Changing the treatment schedule when appropriate or using a prescribed white blood cell growth factor
Bone marrow disorder	Evaluation and condition-specific treatment by a hematologist

Prescription growth factors, such as granulocyte colony-stimulating factors, encourage the bone marrow to make neutrophils. They may be used in selected people receiving cancer treatment or in certain severe or chronic neutropenia conditions. These medicines are not appropriate for every low WBC result and require professional monitoring.

Do not stop or change a prescription medication because of a low count unless the prescribing clinician directs you to do so. The risks of stopping treatment may be greater than the risks associated with the laboratory finding.

Can Food or Supplements Increase White Blood Cells?

A balanced diet supports normal bone marrow and immune function, but no particular food has been proven to raise a low WBC count quickly. Helpful dietary habits include eating enough calories and protein and obtaining nutrients from varied foods:

Vitamin B12: Meat, fish, eggs, dairy products, and fortified foods
Folate: Leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, citrus fruits, and fortified grains
Copper: Shellfish, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and some legumes
Protein: Fish, poultry, eggs, dairy products, beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, and seeds

Supplements help only when inadequate intake or a true deficiency is contributing to the problem. Taking large doses without testing may be ineffective or harmful. Excess zinc, for example, can interfere with copper absorption. A clinician may order blood tests before recommending a specific supplement.

Protect Yourself While Your Count Is Low

Even when the WBC cannot be raised immediately, practical steps can reduce exposure to infection. The CDC notes that neutropenia increases infection risk, particularly after chemotherapy.

Wash your hands regularly and ask close contacts to do the same.
Avoid close contact with people who have contagious illnesses.
Clean cuts promptly and watch for redness, swelling, drainage, or increasing pain.
Practice good oral care while avoiding actions that injure the gums.
Cook meat, poultry, seafood, and eggs thoroughly and follow safe food-handling practices.
Follow your treatment team’s instructions about crowds, travel, dental work, vaccines, and food precautions.

Extreme isolation, restrictive “neutropenic diets,” or unproven immune-boosting products should not replace individualized guidance from the healthcare team.

When to Seek Care

Contact a healthcare professional if a low WBC count is persistent, worsening, unexplained, or accompanied by repeated infections, mouth sores, swollen lymph nodes, unusual bruising, weight loss, or severe fatigue. A primary care clinician can begin the evaluation, while a hematologist specializes in blood and bone marrow disorders.

Seek urgent medical guidance for a fever of about 100.4–100.5°F (38°C) or higher when you have neutropenia, are receiving chemotherapy, or have been given a specific fever threshold by your treatment team. Chills, trouble breathing, confusion, a worsening cough, painful urination, uncontrolled diarrhea, or redness around a catheter or wound also require prompt attention. Infection during severe neutropenia can become serious quickly, and fever-reducing medicine may temporarily hide an important warning sign.

The safest answer to how to raise WBC is therefore not simply to eat a particular food. Confirm the result, identify which white cells are low, determine the cause, and follow a treatment and infection-prevention plan developed with a qualified healthcare professional.