Can donating blood help you lose weight? 4 common myths about blood donation

Donate a bag of blood, save others and save yourself! Regular blood donation can promote new blood regeneration and help your health, but there are rumors on the Internet that "blood donation can also help lose weight and prevent stroke". Is this true? The Taipei Blood Donation Center has sorted out the four most common myths about blood donation that the public encounters and answered them one by one.

Dr. Xie Huihe (right) said that regular blood donors pay attention to diet and exercise on a daily basis, which may lead to better weight control. (Photography by Luo Huiwen)

Myth 1: Donating blood can boost metabolism. Can donating blood after a big meal help you lose weight?

Many people believe that donating blood can stimulate the body to consume calories to produce new blood, promote blood metabolism, and help lose weight. However, Dr. Xie Huihe of the Taipei Blood Donation Center of the Taiwan Blood Foundation said that no relevant evidence could be found in the medical literature. If you want to achieve weight loss results, you still need to maintain a balanced diet and exercise properly in addition to donating blood.

Dr. Xie Huihe further pointed out that although data from the Taipei Blood Donation Center showed that regular blood donors have lower serum ferritin, their insulin sensitivity will be improved and they will digest carbohydrates faster, which should help with weight control. But this may be because regular blood donors are more health-conscious, have good eating and exercise habits, and thus have better weight control results.

Myth 2: Can bloodletting, a folk remedy, prevent stroke?

In 2005, Yale University in the United States conducted a research on people aged 55 to 75. The research subjects were found that the ferritin level in the blood donors was reduced, and the amount of oxidized lipids in the blood and the free radicals in the body also decreased accordingly, thereby reducing the deposits attached to the blood vessel walls and reducing the incidence of myocardial infarction and stroke. In addition, a study conducted by the University of Nebraska in the United States in 1997 found that people who have the habit of donating blood, do not smoke, and exercise more have a lower risk of stroke.

However, finger bloodletting, a common folk remedy or Korean drama, does not exceed 10cc of blood each time, unlike common blood donations where 250 to 500cc of blood is drawn each time, and it cannot reduce the amount of ferritin in the blood. Doctors say that if you want to reduce the risk of stroke and myocardial infarction by donating blood, in addition to good eating and exercise habits, you should develop the habit of donating blood regularly. Each donation of 250cc should be separated by 2 months, and each donation of 500cc should be separated by 3 months.

Myth 3/ Is it necessary to take supplementary food after donating blood?

Although blood donation involves extracting blood from the body, the amount that can be extracted at one time is limited. For a healthy person, blood donation will not affect health. After donating blood, just maintain your original eating habits. In principle, there is no need for additional supplements.

If you are used to taking supplements after donating blood, just take a moderate amount of iron. Common iron-containing foods include duck meat, beef, duck blood, pig blood cake and various seafood, but you should pay attention to the cholesterol content when consuming them; plant-based high-iron foods include spinach, beans, dried apricots and raisins, but you should pay attention to beans and their processed products, as excessive intake can easily cause gout.

Myth 4/Chylous blood can only be considered waste blood?

Generally, after the blood donated by blood donors is centrifuged, the upper plasma is usually clear and light yellow. Chylomicron blood is blood that is too oily, with large chylomicron particles that are mostly composed of triglycerides. When the concentration is high, it will produce refraction, making the plasma appear milky white.

Chyle does not affect the safety of blood. The concentrated red blood cell fluid extracted by blood separation technology can still be used for transfusion by patients. However, the plasma does not meet the normal quality specifications and will be destroyed, which may easily lead to a waste of blood resources.

Dr. Xie Huihe said that, generally speaking, chylomicrons in the blood are a temporary phenomenon, which can be improved by paying attention to diet and other control measures; but if chylomicrons are found in more than 8 out of 10 blood donations, it is normal chylomicrons, which may be a family hereditary hyperlipidemia, and you should see a doctor for examination as soon as possible.

In order to make every drop of blood fully utilized to save lives, Dr. Xie Huihe recommends that people should eat a light diet before donating blood. They should avoid consuming high-calorie or high-fat foods such as cheesecake, rice milk, large amounts of nuts, egg-stuffed pancakes, pan-fried buns, pot stickers, etc. 24 hours before donating blood to avoid the occurrence of chylosing blood.