There’s no end to the benefits of donating blood for those who need it. According to the Red Cross, one donation can save as many as three lives, and someone in India needs blood every two seconds.
It turns out that donating blood doesn’t just benefit recipients. There are health benefits for donors, too, on top of the benefits that come from helping others. Read on to learn the health benefits of donating blood and the reasons behind them.
Donating blood has benefits for your emotional and physical health. According to a report by the Mental Health Foundation, helping others can:
Reduce stress
Improve your emotional well-being
benefit your physical health
help get rid of negative feelings
provide a sense of belonging and reduce isolation
Research has found further evidence of the health benefits that come specifically from donating blood.
Free health checkup
In order to give blood, you’re required to undergo a health screening. A trained staff member performs this checkup. They’ll check your:
pulse
blood pressure
body temperature
haemoglobin levels
This free mini-physical can offer excellent insight into your health. It can effectively detect problems that could indicate an underlying medical condition or risk factors for certain diseases.
Your blood is also tested for several diseases. These include:
hepatitis B
hepatitis C
HIV
West Nile virus
syphilis
Trypanosoma cruzi
Does donating blood lower your risk of heart disease?
The research is mixed on whether blood donation actually lowers the risk of heart disease and heart attack.
A 2017 study trusted Source suggests that regular blood donations are associated with an increased risk of heart disease possibly due to unfavourable cholesterol levels
However, donating blood regularly may lower iron stores, according to a 2013 study trusted Source. This may reduce the risk of a heart attack. High body iron stores are believed to increase the risk of a heart attack.
Regular blood donations were thought to lower blood pressure by trusted Sources, but a 2017 study by trusted Sources suggests these observations are deceiving and are not a real physiological response.
