Why donating blood may help you, too

Nice News  - Being a good Samaritan may pay off even more than you thought. While donating blood is a selfless act that can save lives and help address an urgent public health need in the U.S., there might be a good selfish reason to do it, too.
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A new study from researchers at the Francis Crick Institute in London determined that giving blood often may result in genetic changes in our blood stem cells that help prevent cancers like leukemia from developing. When comparing frequent donors (individuals who gave blood three times annually over 40 years) to sporadic ones (those who gave blood fewer than 10 times total), the scientists found that the former were more likely to have favorable genetic mutations in their stem cells.
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“Our work is a fascinating example of how our genes interact with the environment and as we age,” senior author Dominique Bonnet said in a statement. “Activities that put low levels of stress on blood cell production allow our blood stem cells to renew and we think this favors mutations that further promote stem cell growth rather than disease.” Learn more about how donating blood may positively impact cancer risk.​