According to the Mayo Clinic, one in every 200 people in the U.S. is affected by a condition called hemochromatosis that causes an iron overload. Many of us don't even know we have the condition because symptoms don't show until mid-life and overlap with other common conditions. Committed blood donors regularly eliminate excess iron. The Centers for Disease Control even recommends the removal of red blood cells as the preferred treatment for patients with excess iron in their blood.⁠ ⁠ ⁠ By reducing iron in the blood cells, blood donation can also reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes. A study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association found that participants ages 43 to 61 had fewer heart attacks and strokes when they donated blood every six months. In another study by the American Journal of Epidemiology, researchers found, in a sample size of 2,682 men in Finland, that those who donated blood at least once a year had an 88 percent lower risk of heart attacks ...