What should I eat before and after giving blood?
Eat something light before you go and drink about four glasses of water an hour or two beforehand. Do not come on an empty stomach, nor after a big, fatty meal. On the day, drink three to four glasses of water more than usual.
Before
- Sleep as usual and come rested.
- Have a light meal, best with carbohydrates: bread, a pastry, fruit. Going hungry is not advised, and neither is fatty food.
- Drink about four glasses of water an hour or two before.
- No alcohol in the six hours before: the questionnaire asks.
The questionnaire you fill in before giving blood also asks whether you have eaten, so you will tell the doctor too.
After
- You are given a meal. Eat it and rest a few minutes.
- Drink more than usual that day, three to four glasses of water more.
- Keep the plaster on the crook of your elbow for two hours.
- No cigarette for at least two hours and no alcohol for at least eight. ZTK Niš advises avoiding smoking, alcohol and heavy exertion for the whole day, 24 hours.
- No heavy physical work or training for at least four hours, and that day no long drive and no risky work, such as at heights.
The weeks after
Your haemoglobin falls by about ten grams per litre and recovers in about eight weeks. Food rich in iron helps: red meat, liver, fish such as tuna and sardines, eggs, beans and lentils, nuts, wholegrain bread, dried fruit and green vegetables. Vitamin C from fresh food helps the body use the iron.