Posted by If you are thinking, “What good would it do to donate my blood!”, then keep reading. Many people hesitate to donate blood, thinking it is a tedious process and that they’d faint after that.
First, let’s bust the myths about donating blood. These are the reasons why potential and existing donors show resistance to regularly donating blood:
- Takes a lot of time
Truth bomb, the whole blood donation process takes about 15 minutes. Also, those 15 minutes of your precious time is all it takes to save 3 lives.
If you are still hesitant, take your first step by registering as a donor on the UBlood app in less than 5 minutes!
- People with Tattoos and Piercings Can’t Donate
This is a myth and a commonly used excuse as well. There are just a few points to keep in mind, and even with tattoos and piercings, you are allowed to donate blood.
If you got your tattoo or piercing from an instrument that was based on the single-use & throw method, you can donate blood. If not, all you have to do is wait for one year, and you are good to go!
- I would be left with lesser blood in my body
So, your body right now has approximately 10 pints of blood, and when you donate, only one pint is collected. Your heart recovers that one pint in a few hours if you have a proper intake of liquids after the donation.
You do not lose by donating, you gain!
- Donating blood would make me weak
In contrast, donating blood makes your cardiovascular health stronger! Keep reading to know the physical and psychological benefits of donating blood.
Now that your fears have been addressed let’s see all the good things that happen to your body when you donate blood.
1. Protect Yourself from Cancer
If you don’t donate blood, the irons stay in your body and keep getting accumulated. This causes damage to your body, which leads to cancer. Also, these symptoms won’t show up till you have your mid-life crisis, and then it would be too late! So why not keep this deadly disease at bay?
2. Stay Young
The iron stores mentioned previously not only increase your risk to cancer but also speed up the process of aging. Now, who doesn’t want to look good and feel confident?
3. Heart Attacks? Nah!
Donating blood is like putting your heart on a treadmill. You only get healthier! When you donate blood, the heart keeps working to restore the amount you have donated. It improves cardiovascular health.
4. Love Your Liver
Having an excess of iron in your body is the root of all the major problems. When you donate blood, your liver is relieved from the excess iron stores. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is said to have the potential of reaching the level of an epidemic! At least here is one epidemic you can avoid.
5. Lose Weight
Now, this might not be recommended as a weight-loss method, but donating blood does cause you to reduce calories. 650 calories are burnt every time you donate one pint of blood, according to the University of California, San Diego.
6. Blood Analysis
Everyone likes free stuff. When you donate blood, you get a detailed report of your blood analysis. It also helps you to identify diseases before they get a chance to get a hold of your body. This is beneficial for both, the donor and the receiver.
7. Get Happier!
Donating blood has said to affect the mental state of people positively, which causes them to become happier in general. Ready to be happier?
8. Feel Proud
We all aim to make ourselves and our family proud. Watching the Marvel movies make us day-dream of becoming a superhero as well. If you are a human being, you have a superpower. You can save three lives by just taking out 15 minutes from your day.
9. Connect to The Universal Family
Donating blood helps you to touch so many lives that you can’t even dream of. Regularly donating blood can help you to feel like the whole world is your family, and you would be united by blood as well! It would not only make you feel valuable but also help you contribute to society.
So, are you ready to use your superpower? Get over your fears and hesitations by taking the first step and registering as a Usaver on the UBlood app in less than 5 minutes!