Precautions YOU must take before BLOOD Donation.
Donating blood is a safe procedure made safer by following a few dietary suggestions. You may choose to volunteer for blood donation or some commercial organizations may pay you, but it’s important to eat well the morning before you donate. Having a healthy diet decreases your risk of becoming shaky or weak after blood donation.
Some foods that need to be consumed before proceeding to a donation camp are listed.
Iron-Rich Foods
Donating blood lowers the iron content of blood, thus eating just the right food high in iron is important. Filling up Iron stores in body takes days, so don’t gobble leafy vegetables, poultry, eggs or fish on the morning you’re going to donate blood. A regular intake stretching over a span of couple of weeks builds up enough iron to keep you glowing and energetic. Its deficiency can cause weakness or fatigue and you can faint after donation.
Increasing Vitamin C
Foods high in Vitamin C help in digestion and assimilation of Iron in the body. On the day of donation kick-off your morning with an Orange juice, some dry fruits or a piece of fruit rich in citrus juice.
Avoiding Fats
Donating blood is good for civic and altruistic reasons, but your morning diet can the recipient too. Try and avoid fat rich diet in the morning and day before you are going for blood donation. A fat rich diet is high in Lipids. Blood rich in lipids makes it difficult to test the presence of infections that could harm the recipients of blood. High-fat food products such as butter, mayonnaise, baked food should be avoided.
Stay Hydrated
Start the day by drinking 3 glasses water on the day you’re going to make the donation. Withdrawing blood decreases the fluid in your body. Thus replenishing it with juices will help prevent weakness.
