Lorene Troyer, Contributing writer

While most people do not enjoy the prospect of getting stuck by a needle, donating blood can give the gift of life to the recipient, and wonderful benefits to the donor as well, including a lower chance of heart disease, some exerts say.

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of being a donor is that it will make you feel good about yourself. With no money and very little effort on your part, you make a tremendous contribution to the lives of others. It's a good way to support your community and help ensure that if you or a loved one ever need a transfusion, it will be available. Your donation could potentially save the lives of several people.

Another advantage of donating blood is that you will get a free health screening. Your temperature, blood pressure and hemoglobin will be checked each time. Your blood will be tested infectious diseases such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C, malaria, syphilis and HIV that could be passed on to others. You will be notified if any abnormalities are found.

Donating blood is good for your cardiovascular health. According to University of Kansas Hospital, blood donors have a reduced risk of heart disease.

Research done by Dr. David G. Meyers, a clinical professor of cardiology, showed that, over a 10-year period, people between the ages of 43 and 61 who donated frequently had fewer heart attacks and strokes and reduced their risk of heart disease by more than 50 percent.

According to a report on CNN.com, a study involving 2,682 men from Eastern Finland showed that donors who gave blood a minimum of one time a year decreased their risk of heart attacks by 88 percent, compared to those who did not donate.

Giving blood may even help prevent cancer. In an article at EverydayHealth.com, Dr. Ed Zimney talks about a study that was reported in the online version of the Journal of the National Cancer Institute. The study indicates that men who donated frequently had a decreased risk of lung, liver, colon, stomach and esophagus cancer.

It will also help burn additional calories. According to the Mayo Clinic, you burn 650 calories every time you donate.

The Donation Process

Donating blood is a fairly painless procedure. You will need a finger prick test before donating to check your hemoglobin levels. The actual donation process will only take about 10 minutes if you give whole blood -- the most common practice -- and should be pain-free other than for some slight discomfort when the needle is inserted.

Giving blood is safe and practically risk-free. There is no chance of contracting AIDS or any other disease from donating blood since a new, sterile collection kit is used for each donor.

If you follow the suggestions recommended by the American Red Cross, you should not experience any ill effects from giving blood. Before donating:

Drink plenty of water and non-caffeinated fluids

Get plenty of sleep the night before

Eat a good meal but stay away from fatty foods such as butter, sausage or fried foods

The average human body has about 10 to 12 pints of blood, and only about a pint is collected during the donation. Momentary dizziness may be experienced by a tiny percentage of donors, but this is easily treated with some liquids and a short rest. The lost fluid will be replenished by your body within 24 hours. The blood cells will be restored in 4 to 6 weeks.

The whole donation process will only take an hour or less. After the procedure, you will be asked to rest for a few minutes and offered a snack and something to drink. You can leave knowing that because you gave up an hour of your time and put up with a bit of inconvenience, that not only did you potentially save the lives of three people, but you did something good for your health.