While not the same as a trip to the doctor, donating blood can be another way to check your cardiovascular health. You will receive a mini-physical before your blood draw, where a trained nurse or doctor will monitor your pulse, blood pressure, body temperature, hemoglobin, and more. This event can, sometimes, throw light on issues you were unaware of, encouraging you to take appropriate action.

When donating blood, if your blood is too low in iron, they will tell you and won’t collect blood from you. The clinic will also inform you of any other blood problems they notice or if anything seems unusual. An occasional check of your blood quality could be the key to detecting a health problem before it becomes life-threatening.

One in two hundred people in the United States are affected by a medical condition called Hemochromatosis, and most don’t even know it. Hemochromatosis is a disease that causes iron overload and is listed as the most common genetic disease among Caucasians by the Mayo Clinic.

Committed blood donors recommend donation as a way to deplete the body’s extra iron deposits. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that red blood cell elimination via blood donation is the preferred method for people with excess iron in the blood.

You may be shocked to realize that donating blood may have heart health benefits. Giving blood at least once a year could decrease the chance of a heart attack by eighty-eight percent, according to a study by the American Journal of Epidemiology. Relating to the iron issue again, the high levels in the blood constrict your blood vessels and allows more chances of a heart attack; draining those extra iron deposits by giving blood provides your blood vessels more room to operate.

The link between donating blood and lowering cancer risk is weak in an average, utterly healthy person. But research supports a lower cancer risk for blood donors with different diseases, hemochromatosis, for example.

Based on a report released by the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, drawing blood (phlebotomy) is a method of iron depletion associated with a lower risk of cancer and mortality. The study focused on patients affected by the Peripheral Arterial Disease (PAD), which the Mayo Clinic describes as a common circulatory problem. Patients with PAD who donated blood regularly had a lower risk of developing cancer than those who did not.

Yet another hazard of iron overload is the health of your liver. The National Center for Biotechnology Information reports that the hepatic expression of metabolic syndrome, Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD), has risen to epidemic proportions in recent years.

Research has linked excess iron to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hepatitis C, and other liver diseases and infections. Although many other factors are involved in these problems, donating blood can help alleviate some of these iron deposits and prevent additional liver problems.

While donating blood has several physical benefits, the most powerful health benefit is arguably in the psychological realm. Donating blood means that someone or many people somewhere will receive the help they desperately need.

Donating blood, especially regularly, can be similar to volunteer work. You give your time and blood to help strangers in need. However, if you go to a specific blood donation site each time, you will meet some employees who are also dedicating themselves to life-saving causes.

This type of regular, generous interaction has significant psychological advantages. Being out of your usual ambiance to do something great for somebody else is encouraging in the best way. As a result, being a volunteer has a positive impact on happiness. Volunteering also reduces the risk of depression and loneliness in people over sixty-five.

We strongly believe that the mental health bonus you receive from knowing you are supporting others is just as valuable as the physical health reward. When you roll up your sleeves and sit in the chair, you realize you are making a difference that makes you feel great.