Is this true: Donating blood and especially plasma are two of the best ways to rid your body of PFAS?
So, you’ve probably heard the buzz about donating blood and plasma being a way to reduce PFAS (those pesky “forever chemicals”) in your body. Well, guess what? The science actually backs this up! Recent clinical research shows that both blood and plasma donations can help lower your PFAS levels.
What the Research Says
Let’s break down what the studies found:
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Both types of donation work: A clinical trial with firefighters showed that regular blood and plasma donations significantly reduced PFAS levels (specifically PFOS and PFHxS) over a year compared to not donating at all. You can read more about this in this study.
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Plasma donation is the MVP: While both methods work, plasma donation is the real winner here. According to The Conversation, plasma donation reduced average PFOS levels by about 2.9 ng/mL, while blood donation only managed 1.1 ng/mL over the same period.
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The numbers don’t lie: Plasma donation led to a whopping 30% decrease in average blood serum PFAS concentrations during the trial. That’s a pretty significant drop!
Why Does This Actually Work?
Here’s the science behind it, made simple:
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PFAS chemicals love to hang out in your blood serum (the liquid part of your blood). Since plasma contains more serum than whole blood, removing it takes out more PFAS. Relentless Health explains this really well.
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You can donate plasma more often and in larger amounts (up to 800 mL per session) compared to whole blood (about 470 mL per session). More volume = more PFAS removal!
A Few Things to Keep in Mind
While this is exciting news, there are some important considerations:
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This is currently the only method proven in clinical trials to significantly reduce PFAS levels in humans. The long-term health effects of lowering PFAS this way are still being studied, as noted by Salon.
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Plasma donation isn’t for everyone. If you’re thinking about starting regular donations, definitely chat with your healthcare provider first, especially if you have any health conditions.
The Bottom Line
So, is the statement true? Absolutely! Based on all the scientific evidence we have, donating blood and especially plasma are among the best ways we currently know to reduce PFAS levels in your body. Plasma donation is more effective than blood donation, but both are way better than doing nothing at all.
Want to learn more? Check out these additional resources:
- EWG’s guide to reducing PFAS exposure
- EPA’s tips for reducing PFAS risk
- AMA’s guidelines on PFAS exposure