Dan Wise is a freelance writer and a certified occupational therapy assistant. He lives in Concord.

I have been donating blood for 20 years or so. The Red Cross periodically thanks me and tallies the number of pints I have given. (Sometimes, nauseatingly, I am informed how many gallons that amounts to.)

The Red Cross occasionally reports to me the name of the hospital where my blood was used. (I would love to have a Grey’s Anatomy episode worth of backstory about who received my blood, and why, but we know that ain’t happening.)

I am truly grateful that I am capable of giving blood, due to no serious health issues and economic and family circumstances that give me the leeway and time to do it. On the other hand, I don’t have a lot of disposable income. Giving blood is a donation I can make that’s substantial enough to make a difference. That’s reason enough for me.

But given that only 3% of the people who are of eligible age donate, I’d like to offer some suggestions beyond altruism that might motivate you to roll up your sleeve and let someone puncture your arm. And, speaking of punctures, it only hurts for a second and probably hurts less than you imagine.

Back to the main point. If you care about your health, there actually are some selfish reasons to give blood. Here are five reasons I recently discovered.

Burning calories. When you give blood, your body immediately gets to work making more and that burns calories — 500 calories on average. Well, that’s a free piece of cheesecake or the equivalent of an hour’s walk or jog!

Improved heart health. Studies show fewer heart attacks, fewer arterial blockages and improved blood flow. New blood cells you make to replace those you gave away in that church basement just travel and function better in your circulatory system. If you want to know more about that, ask an expert.

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Reducing cancer risk. Giving blood reduces iron levels. High iron levels have been shown to stimulate tumors and long-range studies show that regular blood donors have lower risks for contracting cancer of the lungs, liver, esophagus, prostate and lymph system (lymphoma).

Free health screening. Every donor, every time, has their temperature and blood pressure checked and is subjected to a battery of intrusive screening questions. It’s nice to know your blood pressure is stable. And it is strangely reassuring to me that my boring life means the Red Cross is willing to trust me with someone else’s life.

Lowering levels of forever chemicals. Recent research has determined that donating blood has detoxifying benefits including significant reductions in levels of PFAS, poly-fluoroalkyl substances, that are omnipresent in our environment. People generally have very low levels of PFAS but high levels can cause damage to the immune system, liver, and thyroid function.

Going beyond those five reasons, giving blood simply lifts your spirits. I don’t need a research study to tell me that if I’m in a room with a bunch of other blood donors, I am in good company. And that feels good.