Blood Donation: Part Five

So I went and donated blood again.  I think I am lucky. I live in an area with great medical facilities and that applies to blood donation.  I go to this company called RBC (Research Blood Components).  Basically they take your blood and sell it to various researchers. There really aren't too many companies like this around so I am lucky to have them close enough to me to make it practical. They seem very competent. The guy who takes my blood does it very well. Before starting they have me fill out an evaluation. Then they take my blood pressure (by hand not with a machine), they take my temperature, and the prick my finger to ensure I have enough iron / hemoglobin. A little mini check up. 

Of course, when I first signed up... they did blood tests on me to ensure I had none of several viruses... I didn't. 

Then, there is the pay.  They pay you $25 to come in and get evaluated and then they pay you $50 for whole blood. Plasma is much more money but I am mostly interested in blood. 

There is another company that pays slightly more but they are further away and also seem to want a lot of information before they will even clear you as someone who should get an evaluation. 

But the big reason imho to do it is that several studies have hinted that blood donation is good for you.  Or imho, evolutionarily we were made to lose blood more often than we do for modern life.  An evolutionary perspective explains the danger of iron overload as the result of a mismatch between our ancient bodies and our modern environment. The current thinking is that the mechanism is that  reduction in blood reduces iron but at this point we simply do not know the mechanism because there are not a lot of studies on the issue.  

• Before humans had reliable ways of purifying food and water, humans had to live with constant parasitical infection, which drained the body’s iron stores. To make sure our own bodies got enough iron, we evolved to store more than we needed. Now, when modern hygiene has all but eliminated the parasitic load on our bodies, we’re storing too much iron.

• When we were hunter gatherers we likely would have far more losses of blood over our life time. Hunters may be injured frequently and women likely gave birth and lost blood giving birth. 

• The fact is for over 3000 years bloodletting was a common treatment for everything. It has only recently—in the late 19th century—been discredited as a treatment for most ailments. It was given up due to more effective treatments but, it seems to me that something that was a common treatment for over 3000 years must be good for your body. To just disregard it seems unwise.

• There is even a theory that bread and agriculture has made the problem worse. Over the last 2000 years we have increased our consumption of foods other than meat. When humans started to rely on grains for a majority of daily calories, we adapted to deal with less iron, and now people in the Western world (who have switched back to a much more meat-based diet since approximately the Second World War) are feeling the drawbacks of a once-advantageous adaptation.

• May help stave off illnesses.  Worried about covid-19?  You need to donate blood. Not only will donating blood reduce chances of clotting....infectious agents require iron to survive and thrive.  Does it now make some sense that men, who are likely to have more iron than women get more sick from covid 19.

• May reduce risk for cancer. A few studies suggest there’s a connection between reducing iron through blood donation and reducing cancer risks.  The studies are inconclusive but given studies on blood thinners and cancer I think it is possible.

• Reduces hardening of the arteries and heart attack risk.  There is a lot of evidence for this but, with regard to MGUS -- particularly IGM - donating blood on a regular basis also reduces blood viscosity, or thickness. I don't care what anyone says, if I have an illness that could increase blood viscosity -- even if not to dangerous levels.. I will be better off if I routinely keep it in check. 

• Our redblood cells last for about 120 days. During this time they may collect sugar on them (glycation) and the older they are... the more rough and less flexible they are. This leads to more possibly of damage to the vascular system. The way that diabetics lose their legs and feet is that glycated red blood cells flow through the small capillaries in the feet and legs and literally destroy the capillaries. Eventually your body will just start cutting them off and eventually you will need to have your feet ampuated. Donating blood causes your body to produce new - more flexible - blood cells; with reduced levels of glycation. FYI, you should notice a reduction in your Ha1c if you donate blood. Mine dropped from 5.7 to 5.2.

This is just a small listing of the reasons to donate blood.  Benefits of Bloodletting; And this one Donating Blood: healthy or hype?

If you are interested what really convinced me was reading the book... "The Blood Thinner Cure"  by Carol Turkington and Kenneth R. Kensey. Not only does it go over the many ways blood donation can help but it also provides a way for you to know if you have too much blood. Hemocrit shouldn't be over 40%.