Does donate blood have health benefits? It is said that iron content in the body exceeds 10% of the normal value, and the risk of developing cancer increases. Men donating blood in moderation can adjust the iron content in the body and prevent cancer. Young women are less likely to suffer from stroke, heart disease and cancer than men due to monthly menstrual blood loss. --is this real? Could it be that a medical institution made it up to trick you into donating blood?
Rumor: Scientific research has proved that blood donors improve their physical condition while dedicating love to the society. "International Cancer" reported that if the iron content in the body exceeds 10% of the normal value, the risk of cancer will increase. Men donating blood in moderation can adjust the iron content in the body and prevent cancer. And younger women are less likely to suffer from stroke, heart disease and cancer than men due to monthly menstrual blood loss. [1]
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The Fact
The idea that donating blood is good for your health originally came from a study by University of Florida researcher Jerome Sullivan [2]. Sullivan believes that iron can act as an efficient catalyst in free radical reactions, accelerating the oxidation of cholesterol, and ultimately causing cardiovascular disease. Some follow-up epidemiological studies have indeed found that male patients diagnosed with coronary heart disease have higher ferritin levels than ordinary men. However, this association was not observed in the female experimental group. [4]
The iron in our body is divided into two parts: 80% is functional iron, such as hemoglobin and myoglobin, which have important physiological functions in the body; , bone marrow, heart, etc. are all "storage warehouses". According to data provided by Victor Herbert, a hematologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine in New York, a premenopausal woman has an average of 300 mg of stored iron, while a man has an average of 1,000 mg of stored iron. [2]
If you want to know if you are anemia, you can measure the hemoglobin level. If you want to know the total iron storage, you can find out by measuring the level of ferritin in serum. Generally, ferritin content below 15ug/L is considered as iron deficiency. If the ferritin content exceeds 200ug/L in adult men and 150ug/L in adult women, it indicates that the iron stored in the body has been excessive. [6]
Our bodies have not evolved a physiological mechanism to excrete excess iron. [3]
Therefore, for adult men and menopausal women, the balance of iron is more likely to be disturbed. Once too much iron is ingested and cannot be excreted, it will accumulate in the blood, heart, liver, etc., which will be detrimental to health. Influence. For example, people with genetic diseases such as hemochromatosis are prone to diseases such as liver cirrhosis and heart disease due to excessive iron due to their high absorption efficiency of iron. [4] Because of this, the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements generally does not recommend iron supplementation for adult men or menopausal women unless iron deficiency is diagnosed.
There are two ways to maintain normal iron levels in the body. One is to control your intake: for example, eat less red meat, for example, do not take iron supplements yourself unless you are diagnosed with iron deficiency. Another is to increase excretion: such as vigorous exercise, such as taking aspirin, and regular donation of whole blood or blood components. [5]
There are indeed studies proving that high iron levels are bad for your health. Although billions of people around the world still suffer from iron deficiency, according to WHO data, adult men are a low-risk group for iron deficiency. If there are enough iron stores in the body, in theory, regular blood donation is a way to get rid of the excess iron. However, the relationship between iron excess and cancer is still debated in the academic circles. Also, donating blood with the goal of "promoting your own health" is a bit of putting the cart before the horse. It should be said that donating blood is a kind of behavior of "pulling a hair and benefiting the world", mainly for others, not for oneself.
Conclusion
The rumor is partially confirmed.
References:
[1] Regular and moderate blood donation is good for health
[2] Too Much Iron in Your Blood?
[3] Chronic iron overload and toxicity
[4] Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iron
[5] Iron Loading and Disease Surveillance
[6] Guidelines for Food Fortification with Micronutrients, 2009
[1] Regular and moderate blood donation is good for health
[2] Too Much Iron in Your Blood?
[3] Chronic iron overload and toxicity
[4] Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet: Iron
[5] Iron Loading and Disease Surveillance
[6] Guidelines for Food Fortification with Micronutrients, 2009
