When was the last time you stopped to appreciate all the good stuff your blood does for you? Without it, oxygen would never reach your cells and carbon dioxide would be filling your blood vessels as we speak. The way you need blood to survive, the same way others need it too.

We don't just need to give blood in the event of tragedies or emergencies. Instead, it should be a normal and routine part of our lives. Regular blood donations mean that there will be sufficient amounts of safe blood in stock.

Health Benefits of donating blood

We often hear about the importance of donating blood as it relates to the recipients. Donating blood is not only good for the health of recipients but also good for the health of donors.

It is important that blood donation takes place in a hospital or a clinic or a blood bank, in the presence of medical experts

1. Health Check-up: You can donate blood only if you are fit enough to do so. Before every blood donation process, a series of health check-ups are performed on the donor, this will help you know your blood pressure abnormalities and diagnose some of the indolent diseases at the early stage before they get flared up and present with multiple medical problems

2. Reduce your risk of suffering a heart attack: Donating blood at least once a year could reduce the risk of a heart attack by 88 percent. It helps to keep the levels of iron in the body in check, especially in males which have shown to reduce heart problems.

3. Reduce your risk of developing cancer: Excess iron has also been associated with an increased risk of cancer. Patients who regularly donated blood had a lower risk of developing cancer than those who did not.

4. Burns Calories: One-time blood donation helps you shed about 650 Kcal. This can aid in your body weight control measures. However, depending on your health status and your blood hemoglobin, blood can be donated safely once in two or three months and not more frequently.