Donating Blood Plasma

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michael94

michael94

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I've always assumed that donating red blood cells is preferable to plasma because it removes iron. Because I am O+ I get to donate double red platelets. But they do use citrate.

Any opinions about plasma vs rbc?

red blood cells are catabolized into biliverdin and bilirubin, both of which have important functions on their own and in the production of bile. So getting rid of excess iron is not necessarily the only result. I am starting to think that bleeding red blood cells is less desirable than letting them be catabolized through the bile pathway, at least more than 0% of the time
 

Elephanto

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From other people's blood test results, taking coriander seeds (also cranberry juice, IP6 but that one is estrogenic) seems to be just as efficient to lower iron as blood drawing. I tend to easily accumulate iron from eating red meat and when I reach a high level my skin tone becomes green/grey-ish, lesser hair quality and general fatigue (generally a week of eating lamb daily will do this) and then I take 2 teaspoons of grounded coriander seeds + cranberry juice daily for a few days and my tone reverts to a healthy tan, more red/pink and vigorous looks. I favor it to blood drawing because of Traditional Chinese Medicine's perspective on blood, equalling it to lifeforce that is difficult to regenerate and the notion of foods with blood-tonifying properties (many that are low/deficient in iron). People should have more respect for TCM considering its preserved insight from thousands of years of trial-and-error, and I think only by reconcilling TCM and western science can you attain the clearest understanding of health.
 

tankasnowgod

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I am starting to think that bleeding red blood cells is less desirable than letting them be catabolized through the bile pathway, at least more than 0% of the time

Well.... yeah. No one donates blood 24/7. Without a prescription, you are limited to 6 times a year. Bottom line, iron reduction tends to be beneficial, blood donors are healthier than non-donors, and are also healthier than they were before they started donating.
 

tankasnowgod

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I am O+ so whenever I donate they want to do "Double Red Blood Cells".

As I understand it, they are basically removing one pint of plasma but two pints worth of red blood cells. I always say yes, because it seems beneficial to me and to them.

I've always meant to ask this forum for perspective on this.

I go this coming wednesday so any thoughts before then will influence my action possibly.

If you do this, you are removing basically twice as much iron in one visit. Although your Hemoglobin needs to be higher to do it. By the same token, you are limited to donating red cells every 16 weeks, as opposed to whole blood every 8. If you did the max number of donations, your ferritin levels should be lowered about the same amount after a year's worth of donating.
 

tankasnowgod

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I've always assumed that donating red blood cells is preferable to plasma because it removes iron. Because I am O+ I get to donate double red platelets. But they do use citrate.

Any opinions about plasma vs rbc?

If you are looking for the iron reduction benefits, it's the donation of red cells that matters.
 

managing

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If you do this, you are removing basically twice as much iron in one visit. Although your Hemoglobin needs to be higher to do it. By the same token, you are limited to donating red cells every 16 weeks, as opposed to whole blood every 8. If you did the max number of donations, your ferritin levels should be lowered about the same amount after a year's worth of donating.
Thanks. This is what I thought. I realize net is equal, but I only have to go half as often--and get citrate half as often.
 

Lurker

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Thanks. This is what I thought. I realize net is equal, but I only have to go half as often--and get citrate half as often.

I don’t think you get any citrate with the standard blood donation only with the machine removal and recirculating processes.
 

managing

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I don’t think you get any citrate with the standard blood donation only with the machine removal and recirculating processes.
Thanks! I'll ask next time. That would definitely make it worth going more often (and avoiding citrate).
 

angiebb

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I donate plasma in Australia. We don't get paid for blood products here at all.

The process of separating the plasma from the RBC's is called apherisis. It's during the centrifuge part of the process that the citrate is added to ensure the blood doesn't clot before it goes back into your system. During a donation they'll suck out blood first, centrifuge it to separate the plasma and then return the RBC's with enough citrate to stop clotting and addition of saline to bump up your fluid loss. They'll typically do this process 3 times during a donation.

I average about 900ml of plasma per donation. We have to take Quickeze tablets before and sometimes during the process to prevent calcium binding or some such thing which is caused by a reaction to the citrate. I've only experienced the tingling sensation in my lips/hands once and they tend to immediately stop the donation if this occurs as they don't like to abuse their donors here.

Does anyone have any other reference material for how healthy this could be for removing PUFA's and what sort of preparation beforehand would make it more ideal? I recall Dr Eades saying in one of his old books that it would be the only efficient way to remove stored PUFA's without having to reuse them in your body on the way out (don't quote me as I can't locate book anymore it was called 6 week cure for the middle aged middle).

Anyway I do the donation regardless as there is a shortage here of plasma donors so they apparently import from the US and some of our sickest people need Plasma products rather than whole blood. There's a slight ethical dilemma here where the more PUFA's I remove the more get given to a sick person... but they'd otherwise possibly die without the plasma... so I guess it's win/win.
 

managing

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