On: Blood of world's oldest woman hints at limits of l...

[eyko]

Does this mean that donating blood reduces your number of white blood cells, and hence your life?

[saalweachter → eyko]

My vague understanding is that your blood stem cells are in your bone marrow.

[orlp → saalweachter]

Yes, but the article suggests that the amount of blood they can produce is limited in your lifetime before they burn out.

So the question still stands: does donating blood mean a shorter maximum lifespan, because you can no longer replenish your own blood cells?

[saalweachter → orlp]

Hmmm, my guess would be probably not? The internet says that white blood cells only live 3-4 days. If you donate 1 of your 10 pints of blood every 8 weeks, and your body actually replaces the white blood cells immediately (instead of just being down 10% for 3-4 days), you would only be increasing white blood cell production by about 0.7%.

[zo1 → orlp]

Next we'll have conspiracy theorists claiming that blood-donation drives are a conspiracy by the 1% or the rich to kill off the poor!!