In Ukraine you get an arm’s length list of foods and drinks that you must not eat and drink before donating blood, but when you search for this information in English, all you get is “less fatty foods, more iron-rich foods, and no alcohol.”
I’ve seen lists that include nuts, dates, beetroot, etc.—all rich in iron—and yet they’re prohibited. Spicy, smoked and pickled foods are also prohibited, as are bananas, blueberries and grapes. None of these are even mentioned in English articles.
In addition, these lists often have different waiting periods (before donation) and some have no waiting periods at all, as if they were chosen arbitrarily.
In: Biology
Because we are more evidence based. It makes no difference what you eat before donating blood. The recipient needs the blood product, and even if there is visible lipemia it will be diluted and dealt with by their bodies.
That list is just wild and completely not evidence based at all. We don’t care, it makes no different to the quality of the blood, be it red cells, plasma, or platelets. It seems strange that in a country that’s being invaded and likely needs blood donors they are turning away people because they ate a banana last week.
Source: blood banker.
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