by Caleb Wyeth

Created on: October 20, 2009

Blood taken from donors goes to any number of people in need, including cancer patients, burn victims, those with leukemia, anemia and other blood disorders, and those undergoing surgery for various health problems and emergencies. The process is truly a modern medical miracle, one in which just about any healthy adult can participate and feel good about having done so.

What is more, blood donation puts you in a very select group of charitable people; though blood is needed by someone nearly every 2 seconds in the U.S., only about 5% of the eligible population donates in any given year. As the American Red Cross puts it: "The need is constant. The gratification is instant. Give blood." Few would argue that donating blood saves lives. But could it also be that donating blood provides significant health benefits to the donor as well, perhaps even saving the donor's life?

Evidence over the years suggests there may be real health benefits to regular blood donation. The arguments fall into a few general categories.

IRON

Studies have shown that excess iron in the blood may cause and at a minimum is likely contributes to cardiovascular disease. While we all need iron in our bodies, most Americans consume far more iron than is needed as part of our regular diets. Iron speeds up the oxidization of cholesterol, a process that is believed to damage arteries and ultimately lead to heart disease.

Regular blood donation (blood can legally be donated only every 56 days, or about 8 weeks) removes blood as well as some of the iron it contains, helping to reduce iron levels and keep them in check.

CANCER

Iron is further thought to promote the formation of any number of free radicals causing cellular changes that also lead to heart disease or a number of other chronic illnesses including cancer. A recent long-term Scandinavian study which considered more than a million blood donors suggests a lower risk of cancers (liver, lung, colon, stomach, and throat) in men, with a decreasing cancer rate coinciding with corresponding increases in blood donation rates.

MINI-PHYSICAL

Due to the many precautions blood banks now take, there are virtually no risks to a healthy person donating blood. Among those is a confidential health history screening and a mini physical where the donor's temperature, hemoglobin levels (iron), blood pressure and pulse are taken. Early detection is critical in so many types of health problems, and symptoms may present during the mini physical. Even cholesterol

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