Advantages of donating blood

Blood donation is not only beneficial to the recipient but also the donor.
Here are some benefits of blood donation:

Health researchers have shown that people that donate blood are 88% less likely to have a heart attack and 33% less likely to experience cardiovascular events of any type.

The reasons are not clear cut, it is thought that it may be due to the reduction in body iron which occurs during blood donation. 220 -225mg of Iron is lost during blood donation which is thought to reduce the risk of atherosclerosis which iron is thought to cause.

A second benefit, also linked to iron is the reduction of susceptibility to cancer.
Lower iron levels may lead to a lesser risk of cancer.

Blood donation forces the body to produce brand new red blood cells which helps the body to restore itself and helps the body to function better.

Blood donation processes enforce the screening of the donor for health conditions or diseases.
Usually this screening is free and it benefits the donor.
This helps the donor get a free health check up which could help the early detection of a health condition which could save the life of the donor.

At each blood donation about 650Kcal is lost, which helps the donor shed some calories.
The frequency of blood donation can not be more than once every 2 - 3 months.
However, factors such as iron and hemoglobin level determine how often a person can donate blood.

Overall, blood donation is a win - win scenario.
Every healthy individual should consider donating blood periodically.