Even a small needle prick can transform you into a superhero. Yes, you heard it right. When you donate blood to someone, you’re not less than a superhero as even a single bottle of blood can save someone’s life.

There are millions of blood donors across the world, but still many hospitals struggle to store sufficient amount. This can be attributed to fear of donating blood. Many individuals, educated or uneducated, feel that donating blood isn’t safe and can harm them in some or the other way. However, people hardly realise that donating blood can benefit them in many ways.

So, let’s understand some health benefits of regular blood donation:

1. Blood Restoration

At the time of donating blood, our body restores the blood within 48 hours of donation, and within 6 weeks our RBCs are also replaced. This process of restoring blood cleanses our blood and makes it healthy. Moreover, our body can also replace the blood volume (plasma) within 24 hours.

2. Reduced Risk of Cancer

Many studies have demonstrated that people who donate blood have fewer chances of being diagnosed with cancer than those who don’t donate blood. Blood donation lessens the risk of various types of cancers like lung, throat, liver, and stomach.

It is believed that drawing blood during the blood donation causes the body to increase the production of blood cells in bone marrow. In simple words, blood donation increases our immunity to cancer.

3. Prevention of Hemochromatosis

Hemochromatosis is a process of excessive absorption and deposition of iron in the body due to alcoholism or other disorders. However, frequent blood donation reduces the accumulation of overloaded iron in our body.

4. Maintaining Stable Body Weight

According to a research, with every pint of blood we donate, our body burns about 650 calories. So, donating blood once in two months is equivalent to one-hour workout in the gym.

Furthermore, new blood cells have a good grip and are better in transporting oxygen than the old cells. Thus, when our body is more oxygenated, it increases our energy levels, which helps in burning calories during daily activities.

5. Maintains Healthy Heart Functioning

As mentioned above, hemochromatosis overloads iron in our body which increases the risk of heart cancer. But by donating blood, the level of iron absorption decreases which further reduces the chances of heart-related issues. It also reduces the chances of cirrhosis (liver disease).

6. Fewer Chances of Cardiovascular Disease

According to studies published in the American Journal of Epidemiology, people who donate blood are 33% less prone to cardiovascular diseases and 88% less prone to suffer from heart attacks. If you donate blood every six months (between 41 to 62), you have very fewer chances of suffering from strokes.

7. Awareness of own Health

While donating blood, you can check whether you are suffering from infections like malaria, or if your haemoglobin levels are optimal or not. Also, before donating blood, donors are screened for infectious diseases like HIV, West Nile virus etc. Thus, if the results are positive, individuals can immediately go for a diagnostic test for further treatment.

While you donate blood and positively affect lives of others, it’s also a sound idea to take additional care of your health. This not just means living a healthy lifestyle. Yes, that’s imperative. But it’s also important to protect yourself financially, in case you are diagnosed with a critical illness, like cancer. With the rising incidences of cancer cases and availability of 100 different types of cancers, this dreaded disease has become a real health hazard today.

Although being immune to cancer is difficult, you can create a financial backup if diagnosed with this deadly ailment. How? By purchasing the best cancer insurance policy in India. This policy will not just take care of your medical bills but also the entire cancer treatment cost, without burning a hole in your pockets. The lump sum payout can also be used to take care of your household expenses, as well as outstanding debts if any.

Conclusion:

Isn’t it awesome that by donating an ounce of blood you not only gain humanitarian benefits but tons of other health benefits? After all, every drop of blood really counts!

But don’t forget to purchase the best cancer insurance policy in India and secure yourself financially against such medical emergency.