Everything You Need To Do Before And After Donating Plasma

Protein-Rich Foods

Eating based on your recommended protein intake (or slightly more) is a great practice when preparing for your plasma donation. You can use this nutrition calculator to determine how many grams of protein you need, then meet those recommendations within 24 hours before your appointment.

Always opt for lean proteins like chicken and fish when possible to maximize the nutrients in your meal.

Other protein-rich foods include:

• Beans
• Shrimp
• Eggs
• Yogurt
• Nuts, nut butters, and seeds

Vitamin C-Rich Foods

To further boost your iron intake, eat foods high in vitamin C, which helps you absorb more non-heme iron. Doing so is especially important for donors who follow a plant-based diet. Some vitamin C-rich foods double as iron-rich foods. These include spinach, broccoli, kale, peas, and strawberries. However, you can also consume plenty of vitamin C by adding bell peppers, oranges, tomatoes, kiwis, and papayas to your pre-appointment meal.

What Not to Eat Before Donating Plasma

Try to avoid consuming sodium-rich and fatty foods and drinks like French fries, pizza, chips, candy, ice cream, and soda on donation day. Besides being detrimental to your overall health, a high-fat diet can cause lipemia, which is the presence of a high concentration of lipids, or fats, in your blood cells. This can give your plasma a "milky" appearance, which can impact the tests that are run on your blood. If your donation cannot be properly tested, you may be deferred from donating.

If you're working on boosting your iron levels, another thing to be mindful of is consuming coffee, tea, red wine, chocolate, milk, or high-fiber foods near your pre-donation meals. Consuming these foods and beverages too close to mealtime can hinder iron absorption.

Another tip to keep in mind: If you use any form of tobacco or nicotine, avoid doing so for at least an hour ahead of your donation.

What to Drink Before Donating Plasma

Staying hydrated before the plasma donation process is crucial. Since plasma is about 90% water, drinking plenty of water is an excellent way to help your body recover post-donation.

In the 24 hours before your donation, plan to drink the recommended 9 to 13 cups of water. On top of this amount, the American Red Cross recommends drinking an extra 16 ounces, or two cups, right before your appointment. When you are hydrating make sure to avoid drinking anything too cold or too hot, which could impact your body temperature. Opt for room temperature water instead.

Being well-hydrated is also the best way to be efficient with your time. Since plasma is mostly water, drinking the recommended amount of water can help make the donation process go faster.

Some blood donation centers highlight low-sugar fruit juice as a good alternative for some of your water intake, so feel free to treat yourself to a few cups of this substitute if desired. Orange juice is a great way to boost your vitamin C intake as well.

Plasma donors should avoid alcohol, which can promote dehydration, 24 hours before an appointment and avoid caffeine, which can impact your pulse.