Quote Originally Posted by nowski View Post
Five Benefits to Donating Blood.

1. The Joy of Saving Human Lives

2. Free Health Check-up

3. Reduces Risk of Heart Disease

4. Burns Calories (It even burns 650 calories for every pint given.)

5. Reduces the Risk of Cancer

Findings have shown that donating blood reduces the risk of heart attacks and even cancer.

It is thought that the benefits arise from lowering high iron levels.

Iron affects how thick and sticky the texture of the blood is. High iron levels causes the blood to be thicker.

Raised iron levels also accelerate the oxidisation process of cholesterol.

This can affect blood consistency and create increased friction as it travels through blood vessels.

As this increases wear and tear to the lining of arteries it could then contribute to cardiovascular disease.

Because donating blood removes some of its iron content, it may therefore have a protective benefit if done on a consistent basis by helping thin the blood.

According to a study from the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers found that those aged 43 to 61 had fewer heart attacks and strokes when they donated blood every six months.



A study of 2,682 men from Finland found they had an 88 per cent reduced risk of heart attacks than those who don’t donate, reported Medical Daily.

Likewise, a study published in the Journal of the National cancer Institute also links iron to an increased cancer risk as it’s believed to increase free-radical damage in the body.

In line with this theory, a four-and-a-half-year study involving 1,200 people found those who made bi-annual blood donations had a lower incidence of cancer and mortality than those who didn’t because blood donations lowered their iron levels.

However, these benefits depend on making donations on a regular basis, rather than once in a while... Jim
Thanks for the info.....Ill make it a point to donate.
Does it take a while, or do I need to get pre-approved or something or just show up and say Im here to donate?