5 Blood Facts Guaranteed to Freak You Out

Unless you’re a vampire or a hematologist, chances are you don’t give blood a second thought.  

For some, blood is the source of irrational fears called hemophobia, which can cause severe reactions prompted by the sight of blood. These could include fainting and a racing heart. 

Yet, most of us go through our days unphased by this important life force pumping through our bodies.

Turns out blood does deserve a second thought, check out these interesting blood facts to find out why.

1. Basic Blood Facts

Blood consists mainly of blood plasma, which in turn is 90% water. It also contains hormones, glucose, proteins, gases, electrolytes, and nutrients.

Blood plasma is yellow in color. Its red tinge comes from a reaction between proteins and irons. 

The most important parts of blood are the red and white blood cells which hitch a ride on the blood plasma. Respectively, these cells carry oxygen throughout the body and also defend it from infection.

Because this blood plasma is so important the medical industry has found ways to preserve blood plasma for use in disease control. See https://buypbmcs.com for more information about these amazing scientific advances.

2. There Are over 30 Different Blood Types 

We’ve all heard of the blood types O, AB, B and A, but this is a simplification of the big picture. 

Experts classify blood according to antigens found on the surface of the red blood cells. If you get a blood transfusion with the wrong mix, you could be in serious trouble. 

Interestingly, studies show that people of the same nationality tend to have the same blood type. The most common blood type in the US is O-positive, but in Japan, A-positive dominates.

3. Your Blood and the Sun

As your heart beats, the pressure your blood alternately presses and relaxes against your artery walls. If there isn’t a significant release of the pressure exerted on your artery walls between beats, you have high blood pressure. Over time, high blood pressure causes wear on your arteries and can lead to atherosclerosis.

Medication may be necessary to keep high blood pressure under control, but spending time in the sun can help too. UV rays help to reduce blood pressure by increasing the level of nitric oxide in the blood. This helps your arteries relax against the forces of the blood pumping through them.  

Overdoing it is never a good thing, a severe dip in your blood pressure is one of the symptoms of sun poisoning and can serious.

4. You Get New Blood All the Time

When babies are born, their bodies contain about 1 cup of blood. This increases to about a gallon by the time they reach adulthood.

Some white blood cells only live for a few hours, while red blood cells hang around for about 4 months.

Your body continuously produces new blood from stem cells stored in your bone marrow.

5. Blood Is Vital for Fertility

White blood cells contain macrophages which help to develop blood vessel networks in the ovaries.

In turn, these blood vessels assist in progesterone production. Without progesterone, an embryo cannot become implant itself in the uterus.

More Interesting Health Topics

Have our blood facts whet your appetite for understanding more about how your body works?

Keep reading our health articles or follow our Facebook page for regular updates about weird and interesting facts. 

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