What to Eat Before Donating Blood and What to Avoid? 12 Best Foods To Eat Before And After Blood Donation

Introduction

Saving a life is the most sacred trait in the world. If you save one life, you have safes hundreds of life related to him. Blood donation is an act of saving many lives. You can donate your blood for several causes such as people having any surgery or transplant, cancer patients, accident victims, burned victims, and so on. You can donate blood to anyone who matches your group despite age, gender, race, and religion. Researches show that in the United States of America, blood is needed after every 2 seconds. This is the high rate of blood requirement. Blood donation is healthy and has many advantages to the body of the donor. Regular blood donor has a low tendency to have cardiac diseases, high blood pressure, diabetes, cardiac arrest and so on. Blood donation also improves the immune system of a person. Blood donation keeps the body of a person healthy. It maintains the health and weight of the person to keep him perfectly in shape. Blood donation neither loses nor gains weight. It makes new blood to replace the deficiency of reduced blood. Resulting in a good figure as well as the healthy physique of a donor. Certain things should be considered before you donate your blood. Such as your diet routine, what should you eat before donating blood, what should have been your schedule, how long should have you slept, and so on. Similarly, certain points must be remembered after donating blood. Such as what should you eat or drink after donating blood, what should be your next move, how long should you rest, and vice versa.

Let’s start with what measured precautions should be taken before donating blood.

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Food intake before blood donation

Blood donation is a healthy trait but it also can cause slight weakness for some time. Blood Donor must eat a healthy diet so that his blood is more effective for him and the receiver. Before donating the blood, it is highly recommended that the donor should eat iron-rich food items. Food consumption should be done at least 3 hours before blood donation. Make sure that the donor has stable blood pressure, sugar level, and balanced ph. A night of good sleep is also very important as well as effe6for the blood donor. Blood donors should take a good 8 hours of sleep regularly on the days of donation. Avoid eating junk foods and heavy fat food items such as fried food, chips, chocolates, soft drinks, alcohol, burgers, pizza, and pasta, and so on. Following are some of the most important food items that must be added to your diet before you donate your blood.

Spinach or leafy green vegetables
Whole grains like peas, beans, or pulses
Fishes, crabs,
Organ meat
Red meat, beef, etc
Eggs
Iron-rich food items

Spinach or leafy green vegetables are rich, iron-fortified food items highly recommend before donating blood. A donor must add these food items to his diet in the days of his blood donation. Iron makes hemoglobin in the body that carries oxygen to your body from the lungs. If the donor eats healthy iron riched food items, it helps to store iron before donating the blood. These iron-rich food items contain beef meat, red meat, fish, tuna, shrimp, turkey, chicken, eggs, dried beef, lamb, etc.

Iron-rich vegetables

Likewise, the meat items, certain vegetables contain a rich amount of iron in them. A blood donor must ad these vegetable items into his daily diet before donating the blood. These vegetables help to make the donor’s immunity system strong as well as store extra energy for the aftermath of blood donation. These vegetables include spinach, potatoes, sweet potatoes, beet greens, broccoli, string beans, collards, chard, peas, and so on. These vegetables work as the energy dose for the person who is going to donate his blood.

Fruits

Iron-rich fruits must be eaten regularly in the days before blood donation. Apple is a strong holder of iron, it also makes the blood in the body. Apple provides instant energy to the body. More iron-filled fruits are strawberries, dates, peaches, apricot, watermelon, and so on. Regulate a time of eating fruits every day to keep your energy tank full. These fruits not only help to make blood but also helps in the purification of blood.

Multivitamins

Multivitamin intake should be done daily if you are going to donate your blood. It makes your blood healthy and stores vitamins in your body so that you can back up the reduction of blood instantly. A person who is going to donate his blood does not need to take vitamin pills. He can fulfill the vitamin requirements through certain food items and fruits. As citrus fruits have a rich amount of vitamins, potassium, and magnesium. Papaya is best for the liver, where the blood is generated. Mangoes and mango shakes make the perfect combo of blood-making energy. Pineapple, raspberries, tomatoes, watermelon, and so on. These fruits are beneficial to make blood in the body as well as to purify it.

Beverages

Not only food items but beverages items can also help to boost up your blood’s good health. In order to perform your work properly, you and your organs need to stay hydrated. Drink lots and lots of water daily. At Least drink more than 8 liters of water every day. You can have fresh fruit juices to fulfill your water intake. Make fresh lemonade and drink it frequently. Watermelon juice regulates the blood volume in your body and helps the liver to generate more blood. Blood is also in liquid form, that is why healthy liquid intake is very important for making blood. Fresh fruit juices also purify the blood. Make juices of citrus fruits such as orange and lemon. Milkshakes also provide heavy energy to the body. A combination of fruits and milk works as calcium supplements and protein shakes for the body. This is very beneficial for blood donors. Make banana shake, mango shake, date shake, and whatever fruits you want to add to the milk.

After blood donation

Your Ferritin level can get low if you suddenly lose lots of blood due to multiple reasons. Such as heavy blood flow during periods, blood donation, vegetarianism, and so on. Loss of blood can cause loss of protein as well as iron. Loss of iron can lead to many deficiencies in the body. Such as hair loss, tooth decay, mineral deficiency, etc.

Donating blood, although, is a safe and sacred activity, but also can cause some side effects. After all, a good amount of blood is evacuated from your body. It can instantly cause you dizziness, weakness, and a nauseous feeling at times. Your body may feel fatigued and drained after the donation of blood. That is why there are certain food items that must be considered to take after blood donation.

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Food items to intake after blood donation

Eat protein-filled food items that help to regulate your circulatory system. Protein-filled food and beverages provide you instant energy and eliminate the tiredness and dizziness from your body. The right amount of healthy food will pull you back into the routine instantly. It makes your headlight and improves your energy. These food items are similar to the ones that should be eaten before donating blood. Such as:

Beef
Seafood
Fish
Poultry
Eggs
Tofu
Grains
Nuts
Guava
Kiwi
Oranges
Strawberries
Broccoli
Watermelon
Papaya
Red meat

Food items such as red meat, beef, lamb, etc contain a high amount of iron, potassium, and phosphorus along with Rich proteins. Blood donation can cause a slight deficiency of iron, hemoglobin, protein, and mineral in a human body. To recover these deficiencies, try to eat red meat as your first meal of the day after donating blood. Red meat helps to develop red blood cells that fulfill the requirement of hemoglobin in the body. Iron-rich food items provide energy and store the iron and protein back in the body.

Fluids

Fluids are a must to drink immediately after donating blood. Drink as much liquid as you can in the form of fresh juices, milkshakes, or water. Avoid drinking alcohol strictly after donating blood. Drink protein shakes. Orange juices, strawberry juices, lemonade, mango juices, energy booster drinks, and water after the donation. These beverages help to restore energy immediately after donating blood. Blood donation can at times cause weakness and heaviness in the donor’s head. Massive fluid intake can help the donor to stand steadily on his feet.

Fruits

Eat calcium, protein, and iron-rich fruits. Eat the fruits that help to make blood. Eat such fruits that are helpful as well as beneficial for the betterment and growth of the liver. Eat such fruits that help in the purification of blood in the body. Eat those fruits that help to regulate the blood pressure as well as flexes the blood vessels. These fruits include watermelon, strawberry, apple, banana, guava, peach, oranges, mango, kiwi, dates, and so on. A blood Donor can eat these fruits during the blood donation process. It will make him free lighter and energetic throughout the procedure. Add these fruits to your daily diet in the days after you donate the blood.

Vegetables

Iron-rich vegetable items should be added both before and after the blood donation. Before blood donation, these iron, protein as well as calcium, and phosphorus-filled vegetables help to store extra minerals in the body. This is why the body does not feel heavy weakness after the donation of blood. After blood donation, intake of such iron and fiber-rich vegetables will help the body to restore the energy and the iron goes back in stock. These vegetables are the green leafy vegetables mostly. Such as spinach, coriander leaves, broccoli, and so on. Keep a hand on these food items to regain your energy.

Whole grains

Whole grains are fiber-rich grains include beans, pulses, tofu, and so on. These provide fiber as well as sodium to the body and helps to regulate and balance the salt saturation in the body.

Dried fruits

Dry fruits are good to eat as a snack. These dry fruits like pistachios, cashews, peanuts, nuts, etc help to regulate the blood circulatory system and provide enough slat to the body.

What things to avoid after blood donation

A good amount of energy is released with the excretion of blood from a blood Donor’s body. If you have donated blood, you should avoid some activities to perform. Avoid heavy weight lifting, running too much, working too much. Avoid workouts, jumping, and other hyper activities after the blood donation. Your body is in the state of making new blood and filling up the energy gaps. You need to take a good rest along with healthy food items and lots of fluids. Lay down at a bed or any comfortable place and let your body restore the settings

Avoid alcohol

Avoid drinking alcohol at any cost after donating blood. It can damage your lungs straight away because the lungs have a pressure of work overload due to generating blood. Along with alcohol, avoid tobacco products and tobacco consumption right after donating blood. Many people are seen smoking cigarettes right after donating blood. It is hazardous for health.

Take a good rest

Take care of your body and take good rest for almost 5 hours sleep. Tiredness and weakness can last long up to 3 to 4 weeks. This is important as well as beneficial for the person to have maximum rest and avoid doing heavy or hyperactive performances such as swimming, dancing, running, and exercising. Avoid ice creams, cold drinks, burgers, pizza, and other fast food or street foods try to walk in a pollution-free environment such as gardens, parks, etc. avoid drinking an excessive amount of tea and coffee. Caffeine can cause different problems for your health.

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Conclusion

Food and beverages intake of a person before as well as after the donation of blood can save him from many problems, diseases, and side effects. Blood donation is always a safe way to help people with certain medical problems.