Blood donation is a life-saving act that helps patients with serious medical conditions maintain healthy blood levels. Blood donors may experience certain side-effects like:

1 Fatigue or weakness
2 Light-headedness or dizziness
3 Iron-deficiency anemia

However, these side-effects mostly seen in regular blood donors can be set right if the right type of foods and drinks are consumed before and after donating blood.

What Foods Should I Eat Before Blood Donation ?

1 Eat Iron Rich Foods -

Iron depletion is the well-known side-effect of blood donation. Whenever a person donates blood, iron stores are depleted from the body and anemia develops as the number of blood donations increase.

Iron is required for the production of new blood cells and hemoglobin that carries oxygen to the blood. Therefore, it is important to eat a well-balanced and nutritious diet with plenty of iron-rich food sources.

2 Consume Water-Soluble Vitamins -

Among the water-soluble vitamins, vitamin B6, folic acid and vitamin B12 deficiencies are common. Such a vitamin deficiency can be prevented among frequent blood donors by regular multi-vitamin supplementation. However, ask your doctor before starting with any supplement.

Besides this, blood donors must consume foods rich in vitamin C, in order to boost the iron absorption.

3 Drink Plenty of Water -

Drinking 500 ml of water before blood donation reduces the risk of a drop in the blood pressure, which can otherwise make you feel dizzy. This is because more than half of the blood is water. Make sure you hydrate yourself before donating blood. Avoid drinking alcohol 24 hours before blood donation as it may lead to dehydration.

4 Eat a Healthy Snack -

Eat a healthy and nutritious snack before blood donation. This will help to keep your blood glucose levels stable. Do not eat foods that are high in fat. This will increase the amount of fat in the blood and such a blood sample cannot be tested for the presence of infections. Hence, such blood samples will be rejected.


Source - https://www.medindia.net/amp/patients/lifestyleandwellness/blood-donation-foods-to-eat-before-and-after-donating-blood.htm