What to Eat and Do After Giving Blood: Iron, Fluids and Rest

What should you do in the first minutes after donating?

Stay in the refreshment area for 10 to 15 minutes and have a snack and a drink before you leave. If you feel dizzy, stop what you are doing and sit or lie down until you feel better; the Saudi Ministry of Health advises lying on your back with your feet raised.

What should you do for the rest of the day?

• Drink four extra glasses of fluid (about a litre) over the next 24 hours.
• Do not lift anything heavy or do hard exercise for the rest of the day.
• Keep the bandage on the needle site for a few hours, and clean the skin around it with soap and water.
• If the needle site bleeds, press on it and raise your arm straight up for 5 to 10 minutes until the bleeding stops.
• If you feel dizzy, avoid any activity where fainting could hurt you for 24 hours.

Why do you need iron after donating?

Giving blood removes some iron from your body. Iron is part of hemoglobin, the protein that carries oxygen in the blood, and your body needs it to make new red blood cells to replace the ones you gave. That is why the centre checks your hemoglobin before every donation: the American Red Cross requires at least 12.5 g/dL for women and 13 for men.

Which foods are rich in iron?

Food has two kinds of iron. Heme iron is in meat, poultry and fish, and your body absorbs up to 30% of it. Non-heme iron is in plants and fortified foods, and your body absorbs only 2 to 10% of it, but it still matters, especially if you do not eat meat.

From the American Red Cross list of iron-rich foods.

How can you absorb more iron, and what blocks it?

Vitamin C helps your body absorb iron, so have tomatoes, oranges or other citrus fruit, or bell peppers with your meal. Eating meat with plant foods also helps you absorb the iron in them.

Coffee, tea, chocolate, high-fibre foods, high-calcium foods such as milk and cheese, and some medicines such as antacids reduce how much iron you absorb. You do not have to give them up; just keep them away from your iron-rich meal: have your tea before or well after the meal, not with it.

Do you need an iron supplement?

The American Red Cross says some donors, especially younger and frequent donors, may benefit from an iron supplement after donating, and advises asking a doctor first. Do not take iron supplements without advice: some people have hereditary hemochromatosis (too much iron in the body) and must set their iron intake with a doctor.

And work out when you can give again with the next donation calculator.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

This guide is based on the following published sources:

1. Tips For A Successful Blood Donation American Red Cross
2. Iron Info For Blood Donations American Red Cross
3. Iron-Rich Food American Red Cross
4. Blood donation in Ramadan Saudi Ministry of Health

Content and links last reviewed: 17 October 2026. How we write the tools

This tool gives general guidance based on published rules, which differ by country and change over time. It does not replace a medical assessment. The doctor at the donation centre always makes the final decision. In an emergency, call your local emergency number.