World Blood Donor Day: Tips to plan your diet before blood donation

Here are few handy tips for you to follow for a good diet before donating blood

Donating blood is a noble act, as an individual has the potential to save up to three people's lives. It is important that the person should be in good health before giving blood. Donating blood is a safe process, but it can be made safer by following a few dietary changes. Since donating blood lowers the iron stores in the body, one should begin building up their iron intake several weeks before donating rather than just eating foods which are rich in iron, on the day of donation.

When one eats well the morning before donating blood, they decrease the risk of becoming shaky or weak after blood donation. It also decreases the risk of the blood sample being rejected.

Here are a few tips to follow for a good diet before donating blood.

Eat a healthy breakfast
Consuming a healthy breakfast that is moderately sized is a good idea before giving blood, because healthy breakfast can help reduce the potential side effects and that the blood is of high quality to donate to another individual. Consume foods that are low in fats – A high-fat meal can interfere with blood testing process.Too much fat in the blood makes it challenging to test the blood for infectious diseases. Any Indian options for breakfast such as poha, upma, dosa, oats, or fortified cereal can be good options.

Foods rich in Iron
It is a good idea to consume foods that are rich in iron at any given time, but it plays an important role, especially before giving blood. Eggs, beans, soya, fortified cereal, lentils, spinach. A handful of raisins for an additional boost of iron is a good option. Watermelon and strawberries are also nutritious sources of Iron to include in ones morning meal before donating blood.

A dose of Vitamin C
It is important to add some Vitamin C to one's breakfast because it helps the body with better iron absorption. Citrus fruits, are a nutritious sources of vitamin C, oranges, berries, melon and pineapple supply vitamin C and one can easily incorporate these into the breakfast, a simple way to get a good boost of vitamin C. A glass of tomato juice is another healthy source of adding Vitamin C to one's diet.

Plenty of Fluids
An essential tips to keep in mind is to stay well hydrated for several hours before donating blood. It is advised to take a break from consuming coffee or tea, as Caffeine is a diuretic and will cause all that water consumed to pass through too quickly.

While you take a step forward to save others' life, ensure that you also promise yourself a healthy lifestyle.

Inputs By: Dr Pradnya Kulkarni, Blood Transfusion Officer, K.J. Somaiya Hospital and Research Centre

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