I didn’t workout today as I donated blood. It only takes about 30 minutes to donate about a pint and it may save a life. Donating blood will not only help the recipient, it may also help you achieve better health.
While the obvious health benefit of donating blood is the sense of well being derived from giving something vital to someone who needs it, the benefits of donating blood may extend far beyond this to having a positive impact on the donor’s health.
Many of us consume more iron than is necessary for good health. Ingestion of quantities of iron beyond a certain amount can promote formation of free radicals in the body. Free radicals have justly earned their reputation for causing cellular changes which can disrupt normal cell function and increase the risk of certain chronic diseases such as heart disease and cancer. This is more likely to be a problem for men and post menopausal women since women of child bearing age shed excess iron through regular menstrual cycles. If a person happens to be a red meat eater, the risk of iron overload can be even higher.
Blood donation removes some of the excess iron which can cause free radical formation in the body. In fact, studies have shown that men who donate blood on a regular basis have a lower risk of heart disease. With heart disease being the number one cause of death in males, this is, indeed, an important health benefit of donating blood. To ensure you don’t give away to much iron, before you’re allowed to donate blood, your hemoglobin level, a rough measure of your iron levels, will be checked. If too low, you won’t be allowed to donate that day.
There are 4 main blood groups O, A, B and AB. Group O is the most common and therefore the most in demand. Over 95 per cent of the blood collected is processed into its main components red cells, platelets and plasma. A regular supply of blood is vital red cells last only 35 days and platelets only 5 days.
30 minutes relaxing on a bed every 4 months is all it takes to benefit both your health and the health of a lucky recipient. You may be able to give blood if you are aged between 17-65, weigh over 7st 12lb (50kg) and are in good health. There is no upper age limit for blood donation if you have donated over the last two years.
Please visit blood.co.uk to find out more about donating or call 0300 123 23 23.
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