Donating Your Blood Could Have a Surprising Health Benefit

Your regular donation of blood could be doing some good for your own health. Researchers have found early evidence that blood donation can trigger helpful changes in the cells that replenish our blood supply. Scientists at the Francis Crick Institute and others conducted the study, published Tuesday in the journal Blood. Studying blood samples from frequent donors, the scientists identified genetic mutations in the stem cells that turn into blood cells—mutations that might improve the body’s response to blood loss, but without raising the risk of blood-related cancers like leukemia. The findings might help scientists better understand these cancers, though more research is needed to know whether donation actually protects people from developing such conditions. Plenty of research has shown the immense public health value of blood donation, as well as the overall safety of the procedure for prospective donors. But according to the study researchers, there has been less focus paid on h ... Read full article.