Donating Blood Can Have Several Health Benefits

 

There are a myriad of benefits to donating blood regularly. In addition to helping save lives, getting paid time off from work and enjoying free juice and snacks after donating, there are physical benefits to being a regular donor. If you donate blood several times a year, you are likely in better physical shape than those who do not, and you have a reduced risk for several severe diseases.

Get a Physical

Check up on your own health every time you donate blood. You’ll get a basic physical from a health care worker at the blood collection clinic, so you’ll be able to find out if your blood pressure, pulse, and other vital signs are healthy or not. The Mayo Clinic notes that healthy donors who meet donation requirements are eligible to give blood once every 56 days, so these people can potentially get a physical examination six times a year and completely free of charge.

 

Replenish Blood

Help your body function more efficiently by allowing it to replenish your blood supply regularly. Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center reports that when you donate blood, your body replaces the blood volume within 48 hours of donation, and all of the red blood cells you lose during donation are completely replaced within four to eight weeks. This process of replenishment can help your body stay healthy and work more efficiently and productively.
Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/96891-health-benefits-donating-blood/#ixzz1hNUL2t8o

Reduce Heart Attack Risk

Improve your cardiovascular health overall by donating blood. Florida Blood Services reports that regular blood donors who donate regularly over years have an 88 percent lower risk of heart attacks and a 33 percent lower risk of any severe cardiovascular event, such as a stroke.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/96891-health-benefits-donating-blood/#ixzz1hqemMSoj

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