CHRONIC ACQUIRED IRON OVERLOAD -
A DISEASE OF CIVILIZATION
by
Lawrence Wilson, MD
© August 2011, The Center for Development
Iron
is a vital mineral in the human body.
Iron overload, however, is deadly.
Most physicians believe it is rare and mainly hereditary. In fact, it is far more common and more
dangerous than many people imagine.
Conditions
in which iron can be a factor include diabetes, heart disease, arthritis,
AlzheimerÕs disease and cancer.
Others include chronic infections, hair loss, hypothyroidism,
hyperactive behavior, violence and many more conditions.
The
causes of iron toxicity are discussed below. However, what is important is that a properly designed
nutritional balancing program can reverse iron toxicity in most cases, even
rather advanced cases of those with a diagnosis of hemosiderosis and hemochromatosis. The latter two diseases are considered
hereditary and incurable, but this is not true. For a short case history, see the Testimonials
Page on this website.
THE ROLES OF IRON
Iron has three major roles in the body:
1. It helps transport oxygen to the cells from the lungs. Hemoglobin is the
main iron-bearing substance in the body.
It carries oxygen to all the body cells. Any problems in this system and a person becomes very tired
and will die if it is not corrected.
This is the single most critical function of iron in our bodies.
2. Iron is needed for energy production in every cell. Energy production
requires the conversion of sugars, fats and proteins into adenosine
triphosphate or ATP, the form that the body uses for all its activities and
healing as well. Iron, as well as
copper, are required for energy production. Low energy will result in cancer eventually in every person
with iron problems.
3. Catalase Production. Catalase is an enzyme that travels around the body and picks
up free oxygen atoms called free radicals. This protects the body from free radical damage, a very
important function.
4. Other Roles. Iron is also involved in the sense of direction. Human beings and the animals,
especially birds, use the magnetic properties of iron, manganese and other
magnetic elements to navigate the globe with amazing accuracy. Small deposits of these ferrous metals
in the brain are used like compasses to direct the creature on its way.
ACQUIRED OR HEREDITARY TOXICITY?
Recent
articles in the New England Journal of
Medicine and elsewhere indicate that a person may have iron overload
without having either the hemochomatosis gene or other obvious reasons for the
problem such as multiple blood transfusions or other obvious exposure.
In
another study of heart disease, 13% of those screened had indicators of iron
overload. This cannot be explained
by heredity. It also correlates
with findings in my own practice and that of other researchers and physicians
using nutritional balancing science.
IRON DEFICIENCY
Let
us say a few words about iron deficiency, a much more well-known problem. This is a severe problem in certain
parts of the world, especially Africa where malaria and other parasitic
diseases cause blood destruction and other problems.
In
America, it is found most often in poor children, those with chronic illnesses
or bleeding that can deplete iron rapidly, in some menstruating women and in
strict vegetarians.
In
many cases of iron deficiency anemia, as it is called, the cause is not really
poor iron levels. It is copper
toxicity, and or biounavailable iron.
This concept was presented earlier in this article. This is a most confusing aspect of
Òiron deficient anemiaÓ. In fact,
many physicians prescribe iron to patients who do not need it, including most
menstruating women who have copper toxicity and copper biounavailability
causing their anemia. This wastes
their time and leads to worsening iron overload problems in these young
women.
We
hope that this article will bring to the attention of physicians the need to be
more careful before prescribing iron pills to their patients, including those
who appear to have an iron-deficiency anemia.
IRON IN THE AVERAGE DIET
There is some evidence that the average American diet includes
excess iron for men but perhaps not enough for menstruating women. I tend to disagree with this, as many
women today have iron toxicity to some degree, as revealed on hair mineral
analyses.
Higher iron foods include liver, kidneys, all red meats, chicken,
turkey, eggs, clams, oysters, other seafood, many fish, kelp, blackstrap
molasses, brewerÕs and torula yeast, bone meal, sunflower and pumpkin seeds,
dark green vegetables, and soybeans.
Iron is also added to most white flour products, and it is found in some
vitamin pills and other vitamin/mineral preparations.
EXCESSIVE SOURCES OF IRON
1.
White Flour Products.
The most important single source of excess iron is refined wheat flour
products. The product is labeled
as wheat flour, but it means refined white flour. Only whole wheat flour really is the genuine article.
In
the 1920s, it was found that animals fed a diet of white flour developed
serious neurological diseases and then died. Instead of banning this product, the US Food and Drug
Administration declared that most white flour products must be ÒenrichedÓ with
iron and a few vitamins to ÒcorrectÓ the problem. Unfortunately, the enrichment has created an even worse
situation in many cases that results in diabetes, heart disease and cancer for
millions of people.
First,
ÒenrichmentÓ enhances the iron content far more than is healthful. Secondly, it is ÒenrichedÓ with a very
poorly used and toxic form of iron.
Third, the food is stripped of all its trace minerals.
Third, wheat today is very high in
glutamine, an inflammatory amino acid, and often contains other irritating
chemicals such as chlorine and bromine used as bleaching agents. It is a thoroughly toxic brew, found
even in some Òhealth foodsÓ.
Fourth,
the body requires minerals and will absorb whatever is available. The white flour is stripped of its
trace elements, creating a nutritional deficiency condition. The iron is plentiful and thus
the body absorbs more than it would
if there were a natural balance of minerals in the flour.
Fifth,
iron is selectively absorbed by the body.
This is a vital survival mechanism because of the great importance of
iron for oxygen transport in the blood.
We hope this explains the deadly combination of problems with bleached,
refined white flour, mistakenly labeled often as Òwheat flourÓ.
2.
Vitamin Supplements And Tonics With Iron. Doctors and a few health food advocates
routinely prescribe iron and iron-containing potions, even when they are not
indicated medically. Some
prescription and a number of over-the-counter drugs also contain iron.
Prenatal
vitamins are the one type of vitamin that should contain plenty of iron. Here also, however, it is usually a
form of iron that is poorly utilized and toxic. Chelated iron is better than most forms found in these
products. Dessicated or dried
liver is also better absorbed, but is toxic today due to other toxic metals in
the liver, so it is not used too often.
3.
Red Meat And, To A Limited Degree, All Dark-colored Foods. Red meats are excellent sources of
iron. However, they can be
overdone. Beef is the number one
culprit here. We recommend some
lamb, but never more than once or twice per week due to its iron content.
Vegetables
contain less iron and less protein.
This greatly reduces the availability of iron from vegetables. Lower iron intake is an important
reason why some advocate a vegetarian diet.
Unfortunately,
these diets tend to be deficient in other nutrients and this eventually leads
to problems that are even worse than iron toxicity. For this reason we do not recommend vegetarian diets for
more than a few weeks, for example for cancer patients.
Tobacco can be high in iron depending on
the soil on which it is grown. Alcohol intake of any amount tends to
worsen iron overload difficulties because alcohol depletes zinc, an important
iron antagonist.
4.
Pollution. Iron contamination of the air, water and soil is quite
common, especially in iron-producing areas of the nation such as the Midwestern
US and parts of California, Arizona and others as well. Industrial iron contamination may also
occur anywhere.
Iron
overload in shellfish and even other foods often contributes to Òfood
poisoningÓ. Vegetables grown on
iron-rich or iron-contaminated soils and may also contain high levels of
iron. Water supplies, especially
if the water is slightly yellow or orange, are a common source of excess
inorganic iron. Wells should
always be tested for iron contamination.
5.
Occupational Exposure. Welders,
electrical workers who use solder, iron and pipe workers, steel fabricators and
other occupations may expose one to enormous quantities of toxic iron.
6.
Congenital Iron Toxicity (excessive iron present at birth). Most children today are born with some
excess iron. They may still be
anemic because their iron is not all bioavailable (see the section on
biounavailability).
Large
amounts of white flour, red meats and vitamins with iron consumed by young
women can contaminate their bodies with iron. Some is passed on through the placenta to their children,
causing chronic infections, developmental delays and behavior and learning disorders
among other childrenÕs conditions.
7.
Other Physical Sources.
Iron cookware is a source of iron if used to cook tomatoes or other
acidic foods. Rarely is this a
major problem, however, if the other sources are not in the picture. Iron is common in the earth, so it can
find its way into many foods grown in naturally iron-rich soil.
8. Emotional Iron Sources. Holding on to
oneÕs anger or rage appears to keep iron in the body. While this is not a source of iron toxicity, it still has an
extremely damaging effect.
While
some anger is normal and even healthy at times, dwelling on oneÕs anger when it
is time to let it go has this effect on our bodies.
In
fact, anger, rage, and hostility, all traits associated with iron, are
qualities associated with planet earth, which happens to be an iron-rich
planet.
HOW IRON DAMAGES THE BODY
1.
Iron Replaces Other Vital Minerals Causing Enzyme Dysfunction. Understanding this requires knowledge
of the concept of preferred minerals. It basically states that all enzymes in
the body have ideally a certain mineral in each binding site that allows the
enzyme to function most efficiently.
If,
however, the preferred mineral is not
available, the enzyme will accept a less
preferred mineral in its place to allow the enzyme to function at all.
Iron
replaces other vital minerals such as zinc, copper manganese, and many others
in hundreds or even thousands of enzyme binding sites. This cause the enzymes to malfunction
and leads to many physical and emotional symptoms.
The
problem of mineral replacement is made worse by the fact that all minerals
compete for absorption. Iron
enjoys a selective advantage. That
is, it is selectively absorbed because of its essential role in oxygen
transfer. This mechanism of iron
absorption definitely works against a person who is eating white flour, lots of
red meat, and perhaps smokes or drinks a little alcohol, for example. Adding orange juice at breakfast makes
it worse, because vitamin C enhances iron absorption greatly.
The
person becomes greatly saturated with iron at the expense of other trace
elements that are already deficient in the food supply.
2.
Inflammation. When iron replaces other elements in
the body, in addition to enzyme malfunction, the next most important problem it
causes is inflammation.
This
occurs because iron attracts oxygen directly to it. Then, when it contacts delicate body tissues, the singlet
oxygen molecules, termed free radicals, detach and destroy body tissues. This mechanism is called oxidant damage
or free radical damage, a potent cause of inflammation.
Oxidant
damage contributes to many other problems as well. These include insufficient repair of the organs and tissues
to meet the needs of the body.
This, in turn, can cause every disorder imaginable from heart disease to
cancer to hyperactive behavior.
Aging
is though to be caused by oxidant damage and it may be a direct effect of iron
toxicity. This is rarely
diagnosed, however, unless one happens to undergo special blood tests or a
liver biopsy for iron.
3.
Toxic Iron Oxide.
Iron oxide is formed when iron combines with several atoms of oxygen at
once. It is biologically useless
and quite toxic as well
4.
Bacterial Growth Stimulant.
Due to its properties as an excellent oxygen transporter, iron tends to
stimulate the growth of common bacteria.
This is a significant cause for chronic infections in our population.
5.
Cellular Poison (Cancer).
Imbalances related to iron reduce the output of cellular energy in the
body. This leads directly to
cancer, which is basically a parasite on the human body. It uses an inferior energy generating
system based on direct conversion of sugar to energy without the many
intermediary steps associated with the Krebs and glycolysis cycles.
Iron
Synergists. Certain
substances and situations favor iron accumulation and absorption. These invariably make iron poisoning
worse.
For
example, vitamin C and other acidic substances like tomatoes can increase iron
absorption. Copper can be an iron
synergist as well, although it is also an iron antagonist in the intestinal
tract. This means it competes with
iron for absorption in the intestines.
Copper
can build up in the body to mask the presence of iron. This often occurs and is revealed on
some hair tissue mineral analyses.
Other
iron synergists would include white flour products for a variety of reasons
other than their iron content. For
example, any mineral-deficient food will enhance absorption of iron if iron is
present in the diet, as it often is.
Other
iron synergists are stress, anger, frustration, resentment, hostility, fear and
other such negative emotions. The
mechanisms for this are more complex and beyond the scope of this article. See the section on iron in the hair
tissue analyses for some elaboration of this topic.
ORGAN AND TISSUE EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE OR BIOUNAVAILABLE IRON
We
have discussed the major types of damage caused by iron excess. Each of these mechanisms affects all
the organs and tissues of the body.
Thus the damage done by iron and other toxic metals with similar
properties is very complex and comprehensive. However, some organs and tissues are damaged more
extensively than others by iron.
For
example, all organs and tissues are affected by generalized inflammation. The manifestation will vary, however,
depending on the function or functions of the particular organ or tissue and
upon its resonance or its generalized response to the presence of excessive
iron.
Organs
that may be most affected by iron are the pancreas,
liver, kidneys, brain, heart, arteries, and joints. This is not so much because the mineral
deposits there. In fact, more iron
is in the liver than elsewhere, but so are many other minerals deposited there. It is more about the resonance or
response of the organ to the energy or structure, more properly, of the iron
molecule or combinations that iron forms with oxygen and other elements.
The
liver and iron.
The liver can be saturated with iron, and in Chinese medicine the liver
is the seat of iron. It is associated
with an attitude of anger and rage.
Iron also accumulates in the amygdala, a part of the brain associated
with anger and rage.
However,
it can accumulate everywhere in the brain and is certainly one cause of
dementia related to aging, since iron accumulates with age, as a general
rule. As it does so, it replaces
other vital minerals such as chromium, molybdenum, selenium, germanium and
others in vital organs, glands and tissues.
SYMPTOMS AND CONDITIONS OF IRON OVERLOAD
These
are extremely numerous. I will
list the most important of these as they will serve as a guide for other
researchers to investigate. In
fact, this entire article is designed to spur investigation of problems
associated with iron.
Physical
Ailments Associated With Iron Poisoning.
1)
Diabetes. This is known in the
medical literature and is sometimes referred to as bronze diabetes.
However, we feel that researchers will learn that more than this is due
to iron overload, in subtle ways.
Iron replaces many minerals that can give rise to symptoms of diabetes.
2.
Cancer. This is another subtle
situation in which researchers will find, we believe, that many cases of cancer
are indirectly caused by or related to iron overload from non-hereditary
causes.
3.
Nervous System Diseases. These may
include ParkinsonÕs disease, AlzheimerÕs disease and behavioral abnormalities,
including violence, anti-social behavior, ADHD, autistic characteristics and
other. A bad temper is often
related to iron toxicity, as mentioned earlier.
4.
Hypertension And All Cardiac Conditions.
Iron has an ability to enhance the hardness of the arteries, as does
cadmium. So the blood pressure
rises, without any obvious cause.
Arrhythmias, congestive heart failure, cardiac stenosis, cardiomyopathy
and others are included in the list of cardiac difficulties that are known to
occur with hemosiderosis and hemochromatosis and can occur with acquired iron
overload as well.
5.
Kidney Problems of Many Types.
Iron can accumulate here, causing hypertension, renal failure and other
difficulties.
6.
Inflammatory Symptoms. These
include a wide range of disorders and syndromes, ranging from rheumatoid
arthritis, osteoarthritis and SjogrenÕs syndrome to lupus, myelination diseases
such as multiple sclerosis and others.
7.
It may also include milder, minor forms of inflammation such as random aches
and pains, premenstrual syndrome, headache syndromes and so many other
inflammatory conditions that may occur in children and adults.
IRON AND HAIR TISSUE MINERAL ANALYSIS
Hair
tissue mineral analysis is helpful to identify an iron imbalance in most cases, but
one must not just use the hair iron level. Here are the main indicators:
1.
HAIR TISSUE IRON GREATER THAN ABOUT 2 MG%. this indicator applies mainly to an initial hair mineral
test, though not necessarily. On a
retest, during a nutritional balancing program, the hair iron may elevate as
the body eliminates excess iron through the hair, so the indicator is less
reliable on retests.
2.
IRON IN THE POOR ELIMINATOR RANGE.
This is a hair tissue iron level of less than about 1.2 mg%. It indicates the body is having
difficulty eliminating iron. For
more on this new and exciting mineral analysis pattern, read Poor Eliminator Pattern on this website.
3.
ELEVATED ÔAMIGOSÕ, SUCH AS MANGANESE OR ALUMINUM, IN MOST CASES. When aluminum is above about 1.2 mg% or
manganese is greater than about 0.04 mg% in the hair tissue, iron toxicity with
biounavailable iron is almost always present to some degree.
4.
OTHER ÔAMIGOSÕ IN THE POOR ELIMINATOR RANGE. This means that aluminum or manganese, usually, are very low
in the hair. The poor eliminator
range for aluminum is when it is less than 0.65 mg% and for manganese when it
is less than about 0.015 mg%.
Ideal
Hair Iron Levels. The ideal iron level in the hair
should probably be about 1.8-2 mg% or 20 parts per million in an unwashed hair
sample. This fact is important
because the suggested normal value varies from lab to lab. Often people just read the level as
low, high or normal. It is
important to actually review the level, not just whether it seems low, normal
or high.
BIOUNAVAILABLE IRON
This
term means that iron is present somewhere in the body but is unable to be
utilized properly. Iron is called
biounavailable:
1)
If it cannot be bound properly.
Iron must be bound to a protein molecule such as ferritin,
metallothionein or other, if it is to be transported properly throughout the
body. If it is not bound
correctly, it builds up in the tissues and cannot be utilized in many chemical
reactions.
2)
If it is in a valence that cannot be used. For example, iron can have a valence of +2, +3, or under
rare circumstances, +4. It must be
in the correct one to be used properly.
Copper, manganese and other minerals are involved in the conversion of
iron, for example from the ferrous, or +2 form to the ferric or +3.
3)
In certain molecules such as an oxide.
4)
Other complex biochemical reasons.
For example, iron may be so bound up with other protein carriers that it
cannot be freed up for utilization in other areas. Chelating agents do just that for therapeutic purposes. However, it can happen for other
reasons as well that are pathological.
5)
Iron may be biounavailable if it cannot be absorbed. This occurs with some malabsorption syndromes that affect
the upper intestinal area where iron is mainly absorbed. This subject is huge and beyond the
scope of this article. For
example, if one eats a lot of manganese in a food or even a vitamin pill, it will
inhibit the absorption of iron to some degree. This makes the iron less bioavailable that is in the food or
drink. Eating iron with protein or
vitamin C, for example, increases its bioavailability by increasing its rate of
absorption.
For
example, eating just one food at a meal, or taking a digestive enzyme, can
greatly enhance the absorption of iron and any other substance by reducing
competition for the minerals or enhancing digestive capacity to, for instance,
break down the fiber in meat or vegetables. This is why we so often recommend digestive aids and
simplified meals. Overeating can
greatly reduce iron bioavailability by overwhelming the digestive capacity and
blocking absorption by overstimulating the absorptive mechanisms.
This
is a vital concept to understand.
Otherwise the practitioner will be confused, as some patients have signs
and/or symptoms of too much iron while at the same time they and others may
show signs and/or symptoms of deficiency.
Tests for iron such as TIBC, ferritin and the hair analysis may also be
totally confused if one does not understand bioavailability.
Biounavailability may cause the iron levels on hair tissue
mineral tests and even blood tests to appear low when they are really normal or
even high. Please recall this
well.
Biounavailable Iron Effects On The
Adrenal Glands or the Nervous System. Biounavailable iron
appears to irritate the adrenal glands or perhaps other parts of the
sympathetic nervous system. This
appears to have the effect of pushing up the sodium readings on hair tissue
mineral analyses when the test is performed without washing the hair at the
laboratory.
This
seems to be an adaptive mechanism to help boost adrenal activity and maintain
the sodium level in the tissues, which is very important. However, it is a toxic mechanism that
does not produce health.
Manganese, aluminum and perhaps other minerals, especially in a
biounavailable and toxic form such as oxides, appear to do the same thing. These are called the ÔfriendsÕ or
ÔamigosÕ for this reason, and are often found together in the bodies of slow
oxidizers, in particular. Slow
oxidizers have exhausted adrenals and are the ones most needing a boost,
perhaps. This topic is also
discussed in an article entitled Iron,
Manganese and Aluminum.
IRON ELIMINATION METHODS
Iron
is difficult for the human body to eliminate. This may be because iron is such an essential mineral. The body conserves iron carefully,
rather than risk excreting too much.
Humans often had to survive on low-iron vegetable diets for months, so
iron conservation was essential.
Today
we have the opposite situation in many parts of the world. White flour in enormous amounts, along
with red meat and iron-rich vegetables are in abundance in most developed
nations. Also, excessive iron in
the air and water supplies are common.
The only methods I am aware of to remove excess iron from the body are:
1.
Nutritional balancing programs.
2.
Phlebotomy or bleeding (removing blood).
3.
Iron chelating drugs and other substances.
Let
us discuss each of these methods:
Nutritional
balancing programs. A properly designed
nutritional balancing program easily removes toxic iron only from the body. I am surprised how easily and how consistently
this occurs. This type of regimen
combines six or seven methods of eliminating iron at once. Iron is removed gently, quickly in most
cases, and very safely. Here are
the basic components of this program:
1) Diet. Iron toxicity is
often largely caused by dietary imbalances. The diet must:
a)
Exclude white flour and some red meat except perhaps lamb once or twice a
week. Other restrictions for iron
are usually not needed, except perhaps to avoid molasses, red beets or other
very high-iron foods or using a lot of iron cookware.
b)
The diet must be correct for oneÕs metabolic type, based upon a properly
performed hair mineral analysis.
This is vital in some cases.
c)
Eliminate all sugars, including most all fruit, all fruit juices, which upset
blood sugar, and all other sweet foods.
d)
Reduce all chemicals in the diet such as excitotoxins like MSG, aspartame and
other chemical additives found in many prepared foods.
e)
Eliminate other foods that are refined, such as all white rice, white sugars
and refined flour, even if it is not enriched with iron.
f)
Eat bout 70% cooked vegetables and some animal protein daily.
2) More Rest, Emotional Adjustment, if
needed, And A Healthful, Low-Stress Lifestyle. Rest, stress reduction and releasing
negative emotions are essential for the best results.
Emotions
such as anger, rage and resentment greatly increases iron retention in some
individuals. The body seeks to
maintain adequate adrenal activity by retaining iron and manganese, among other
minerals. These, in fact, can
irritate weak adrenal glands, which keeps the adrenals pumping out hormones
when they would prefer rest.
3) Reduce The Activity Of The
Sympathetic Nervous System. The sympathetic nervous system
inhibits proper digestion, proper elimination and many other vital body
functions. It is a fight-or-flight
response that millions of people are caught in.
To
help reduce sympathetic nervous activity, sauna therapy and the use of foods
and nutrients that relax the nervous system are most helpful. This includes the avoidance of all
stimulants and refined sugars (including most fruit and juices). Fruit should be limited as most of it
contains excessive sugars and often pesticide residues. Also, excitotoxins are dangerous for
the person with iron toxicity.
These include chemicals that stimulate the sympathetic system such as
caffeine, MSG and aspartame (also called Equal or Nutrasweet).
Supplements
such as calcium/magnesium, zinc, copper, ox bile and pancreatin have a
parasympathetic effect.
Other
methods to reduce sympathetic nervous activity include meditation, relaxation,
rest with daily naps, and other lifestyle modifications designed to relax a
person.
4) Balance the oxidation rate, as
revealed on a properly performed hair tissue mineral analysis. This is most
important because this balancing, done with foods, nutrients, lifestyle changes
and some basic detoxification procedures, will increase the efficiency of
energy production. Increased
cellular or adaptive energy can assist every healing process. This balancing process is unique to
this program. The other components
can be used without the balancing, but the program will not be as effective.
5) Assist the Eliminative Organs. Any method that
assists the liver, kidneys, bowels and skin will help remove iron, as well as
all other toxic substances in the body.
Many
methods are available to do this.
Nutritional balancing uses near infrared saunas, coffee enemas, and, at
times, herbs such as milk thistle, black radish, dandelion or uva ursi to
assist the activity of the colon, kidneys and liver, primarily.
Relaxation
methods, foot reflexology, acupressure, acupuncture or others could also be
helpful, if needed, which they are usually not.
The
skin is another important route through which the body appears to be able to
remove iron. Nutritional balancing
encourages the use of near or far infrared sauna therapy for everyone. Details of how to improve skin elimination
is the subject of Sauna Therapy,
a book by this author. Also see
the Sauna Therapy article on www.drlwilson.com.
6. Support The Sodium Level.
This is vital, in fact, for iron removal.
Supporting the sodium level with a proper diet and the optimum
nutritional supplements and other methods is required to remove iron in most
cases. This is because a toxic and
biounvailable form of iron appears to be used by the body to support the tissue
sodium level. To remove the iron
adaptation, one might call it, one must support the sodium in other ways. Otherwise, all the other methods will
not work well. This particular
aspect of nutritional balancing science is the trickiest to do and the most
important as well. It permits the
body to excrete much more iron quickly.
It
involves giving the right amount of other supportive minerals such as
manganese, chromium, selenium and zinc, along with the appropriate vitamins,
glandular products and digestive aids.
Dr. Paul Eck figured out these doses some 35 years ago and we seem
unable to improve upon them.
7) Iron Antagonists.
These have been discussed above and include minerals such as zinc, selenium,
sulfur, manganese and other nutrients.
Hair analysis, when interpreted according to the method of Dr. Paul Eck,
can carefully guide us in giving antagonists that do not worsen the balance of
the body chemistry. This is a very
important consideration when giving iron antagonists or any supplements to help
remove iron.
8) Chelators. Nutritional balancing does not involve
using synthetic drug chelators such as EDTA, deferoxamine or IP-6. They are not needed and have many
problems that are discussed below.
Natural chelating agents are also used very rarely, such as high-dose
vitamin C. Vitamin C can increase
iron absorption.
Small
amounts of vitamin C and sulfur-bearing amino acids such as L-taurine,
L-cysteine and L-methionine may be used at times. Related products such as ALA (alpha lipoic acid), NAC
(N-acetyl cysteine) and others could be used, but we find them unnecessary and
that they add cost and inconvenience to the programs, and often unbalance the
programs because they are too yin in Chinese medical terminology.
Once
again, all supplements must be given in a way that does not unbalance the
oxidation rate, as this will slow or even stop progress rather than enhancing
it.
9) Digestive Assistance. While this may increase iron absorption
somewhat, this problem is more than offset by assisting one to better absorb
other competing minerals that are needed to help remove excess iron from the
body.
The
digestive aid I like best is pancreatin with ox bile, dehydrocholic acid and
Russian black radish. The product
is called GB-3 from Endomet Labs.
It is many other benefits discussed in a separate article on this site
entitled GB-3.
For example, it is also very parasympathetic in its effects and it can
protect somewhat against the development of cancer, one of the side effects, so to speak, or iron
toxicity. The reason is that
pancreatin can help digest the coating on cancer cells, rendering them
susceptible to removal by white blood cells. Pancreatin also digests foreign proteins in the intestines,
including some parasites, yeasts and other harmful organisms. These are very common in iron-toxic
people. Pancreatic enzymes can
also be helpful to assist the body to produce plenty of bile to help eliminate
iron.
MEDICAL METHODS FOR REMOVING IRON
1. Bloodletting. Leeches or
phlebotomy (removing blood by intravenous needle) have been and are presently
the major methods used to reduce iron levels in cases of disorders involving
excessive iron. The advantages of
this method are it is very fast (too fast) and it is relatively easy for the
patient.
On
the subject of bloodletting, it is, perhaps, no coincidence that those who give
blood often live longer than those who receive many blood transfusions. The problem with receiving blood,
however, is not so much the iron, which is often needed, as infections that are
blood-borne and hard to detect at the blood bank. If possible, avoid ever receiving a blood transfusion for
this reason. Give your own blood
before surgery, and bank your blood if you wish, to avoid what could be a
medical disaster.
Adverse
effects of bloodletting include:
1)
Fatigue and weakness temporarily, at least.
2)
Depletion of many other nutrients besides iron. This is potentially a very devastating side effect in some
cases of iron excess that can worsen the iron condition.
3)
Masking of the real problem, since bloodletting does not address deeper causes
of iron toxicity. In other words,
this method does not restore true health.
4)
Subtle defects in the body may show up with repeated bloodletting, as the blood
carries much more than just minerals.
Removing blood on a frequent basis carries other subtle risks for this
reason.
5)
Removal of some bioavailable iron when the real goal is just to remove
biounavailable iron, ideally.
2. Chelating Drugs.
Iron chelators such as deferoxamie, penecillamine or even EDTA to some degree
will remove some iron. This method
is not used much as it is not safe, the drugs can be toxic, and it is more
costly as well. Problems with iron
chelators include:
a)
Other vital minerals and other substances may be removed
b)
Deferoxamine and other drugs are toxic to a degree.
c)
They remove both available and biounavailable iron, which is not good at all.
d)
They do not tend to address the underlying causes. Chelation may address some
causes if it is able to remove lead, cadmium and other toxic metals. However, chelation can also worsen
mineral imbalances in some people, especially those with low tissue calcium or
magnesium or zinc levels.
3. Natural Chelating Agents.
These are sometimes used by holistic doctors. They include green tea extract, a very interesting
supplement. One can drink green
tea, but it is not as effective as the extract that contains concentrated
polyphenols and tannins. These
tend to absorb iron and prevent its absorption into the body. It can also extract some iron from the
intestinal walls. Four to ten
capsules daily are needed, each with a polyphenol content of about 300 mg at
least, according to Disease Prevention
And Treatment, published by the Life Extension Foundation, 3rd
edition.
Another
chelator is vitamin C, except for the somewhat serious difficulty that vitamin
C also enhances iron absorption, so is less useful unless given
intravenously. Another substance
used is phytic acid found in some grains or in preparations such as IP-6. This natural method works by inhibiting
absorption of iron from the intestine.
It does not remove most stored iron, however.
The
main advantages of natural chelation agents is lower toxicity than the
chelating drugs. However, IP-6 is
a powerful chelating agent, for which reason we prefer to call it a drug that
requires great care or it will remove many other minerals from the body.
Disadvantages
of the natural iron chelators are the same as the drug chelators. They can and do remove other essential
minerals, which seriously and sometimes gravely imbalances the body
chemistry. Also, chelation rarely
addresses the cause of the problem.
This usually results in a re-accumulation of iron and a need for
repeated treatments. Phytic acid
products such as IP-6 are particularly dangerous as they remove a lot of
calcium, magnesium and zinc which are all vital nutrients and already deficient
in most people today. Vitamin C
can lower copper significantly, causing very severe problems in some people if
used repeatedly.
OTHER WAYS THE BODY ELIMINATES SOME IRON
Menstruation
is the major way iron removal occurs naturally in any large quantity in a few
women. Menstruating women, in
fact, gain some protection from the ravages of iron toxicity, and this is one
reason women may live longer than men.
Cysts
and tumors. On occasion, a
tumor forms that contains either solid iron particles or liquid that contains
iron. This will appear as
pathology to a medical doctor, but may in fact be a healing process. Removal may be best if the body is
unable to drain and eliminate the tumor by itself.
NUTRITIONAL APPROACHES TO AVOID OR USE WITH CARE IN CASES OF IRON
TOXICITY
For
the best results with iron toxicity, we find it is best to avoid certain
approaches. Supplementing with too
many tablets or other potions can spoil the result because they confuse the
body. Doctors are often anxious to
use all the ÒbestÓ remedies and overdo. Simpler meals and simple nutritional
supplement regimens are always best.
Give no more than 20 pills three times daily.
Also,
as mentioned above, be careful with vitamin C, which tends to increase iron
absorption.
References
1. N Eng J Med, 1999, Hereditary
Hemochromatosis in Adults without Pathogenic Mutations in the Hemochromatosis
Gene, Pietrangelo, A. et al., 341:725, September 2.
2. Neurology,
2003, Parkinson's disease risks associated with dietary iron, manganese, and
other nutrient intakes, Powers, KM et al., Jun 10;60(11):1761-6.
3. Amer J Clin Nut, 1998, 68:3-4
(calcium used to inhibit iron absorption)
4. Life Extension Foundation, 2000, Disease Prevention and Treatment, Third
Ed., pp.317-321.
5. Casdorph, H.R. and Walker, M., Toxic Metal Syndrome, Avery Publishing,
1995.
6. Kutsky, R., Handbook of Vitamins, Minerals and Hormones, 2nd ed.,
Van Nostrand Reinhold, 1982.
7.
www.mercola.com/2002/dec/18/iron_diagnosis.htm
8.
www.irondisorders.org/Disorders/Acquired.asp
9. J
Royal Soc Med. 1988, ÒIron added to flour: Is it nutritionally beneficial?
Discussion paperÓ, M J Hall, May;
81(5): 280–283.
10.
http://ironoverloadtreatment.com/
(the new instrument to measure iron overload)
11. www.irondisorders.org/News
12.
www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/08/070830122255.htm
13.
www.mayoclinic.com/health/hemochromatosis/DS00455/DSECTION=7
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