Iron Overload: How to Get Your "Rust" Out
Most of us grew up thinking of meat as our best source of iron. It's no wonder some people think that becoming a vegetarian is like sending iron-deficiency anemia a written invitation. But the fact is, vegetarians do not have more anemia, nor do they have other iron-related problems caused by eating meat.
Free Radicals: A Costly Proposition
While everyone knows that we need iron to carry oxygen in the blood, few people are aware that too much iron is highly detrimental to one's health. Just as iron and oxygen work together in the form of oxidation we recognize as rust, something similar happens within the body. Iron encourages the formation of free radicals and their damaging effects.
Free radicals are unstable, destructive molecules. They come in a variety of chemical forms, but all have one thing in common: They can attack and damage bystander molecules, rendering them unstable and ready, in turn, to attack yet other molecules, starting chain reactions of cellular destruction. They attack the very tissues that make up our bodies.
When Iron Is Like a Munitions Detonator
Dr. Randall B. Lauffer is a biochemist at Harvard University. His book Iron Balance shows that iron can be like a detonator in a munitions warehouse. "Iron is a key component of the free radical theory of disease," according to Dr. Lauffer. This was discovered some time ago, and as we have learned more over the years, we have found that iron sort of sits right in the center of all that chemistry." Iron catalyzes the formation of free radicals, which then damage the tissue around them. Do we have lots of extra iron in our bodies? Unfortunately, the answer is yes. Men accumulate iron throughout adulthood. For most women, excess iron becomes a problem only after menstruation ceases. Iron-catalyzed free-radical damage is now thought to be the spark that can set off both heart disease and cancer, in addition to aggravating aging processes.
So where are we getting all this troublesome iron? From meat, first of all. Meat contains a form of iron (heme-iron) that is absorbed a bit more easily than iron from vegetables. This used to be thought of as an advantage, but it is now known that more people get into trouble because of iron overload than iron deficiency. The meat-based diets that are routine in Western countries contribute the perfect catalyst for free-radical formation. Vegetables, beans, and grains do contain iron, but the body is better able to limit absorption from these sources.
A Diet that Works
"The dietary modifications that people are trying to make now to reduce their fat and cholesterol will tend to reduce iron levels as well," explains Dr. Lauffer. "So, the push toward a more vegetarian-style dietless meat, and more fruits and vegetables and whole grainsis totally consistent with all the iron information as well." Contrary to popular belief, vegetarians are not headed for iron deficiency. Rather, they have lower, safer amounts of stored iron in their bodies.
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You'll Find Plenty of Iron in Plants
Blackstrap molasses 1 T 3.20 mg
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The value of fruits, vegetables, and grains is not just that they contain no cholesterol at all and very little fat. They also supply antioxidant vitamins. When iron is plentiful in the body, free radicals have a field day. In a study of nearly 2,000 men published in l992, researchers in Finland demonstrated that iron stored in the body is a major contributor to heart attacks. The more iron you have in your body, the higher your risk of heart disease.
Post-Menopausal Women at Special Risk
Iron may help explain why men and women have very different risks of heart disease. Before menopause, women have a much lower risk, but after menopause their risk rises to match that of men. Scientists have assumed that the difference must be due to hormones, but have found no compelling explanation. It may be that men's higher risk of heart problems comes from the fact that they start accumulating iron in their bodies at an earlier age. For women, menstruation removes iron on a monthly basis. After menopause, iron accumulation rapidly occurs and heart disease rates climb.
| RDA for Iron | |
| Males 11-18 years old | 12 mg |
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Males 19-50+ years old | 10 mg |
| Females 11-50 years old | 15 mg |
| Females more than 50 years old | 10 mg |
| Pregnant | 30 mg |
| Lactating | 15 mg |
"The iron levels match exactly the mortality rates of heart disease in men and women," states Dr. Lauffer. "Men get very high iron levels early in life, say 20 years old, whereas women's iron levels are held down by the natural loss of iron through menstruation. As soon as that ceases, however, their iron levels bound up quickly to that of men and, at the same time, the incidence of heart disease increases."
China: Ironing Out an Old MythQ: How do the Chinese get enough iron without eating meat? A: We hear in the West all the time that heme-ironwhich occurs in meat, fish, poultry, and eggsis important because it's better absorbed. Some people use heme-iron to justify the consumption of animal-based products. Iron from plants has always had second-class status. But in China, 90% of iron intake is from plant products and we don't see any compromised iron status in adults. That's not to say that there aren't some problems in youngsters or pregnant women. We don't have those data yet. But if there are problems in some areas, I would want to rule out the effects of parasites before attributing low iron status to a diet low in heme-iron. -- Dr. T. Colin Campbell |
Some people aggravate the problem by taking iron pills, vitamins with iron, or fortified cereals when they are not actually iron deficient. Of course, children and pregnant and nursing women do have a higher need for iron, compared to people at other stages of life, and some women may become iron deficient during their reproductive years. But many people falsely conclude that they are iron deficient because of the popular myth linking fatigue and iron.
How to Check Your Iron Status
To check your iron status, you can ask your doctor for certain specific tests, the most important of which is called a ferritin test, in addition to the more general hemoglobin and hematocrit tests that are usually run. Unfortunately, the body has no way to rid itself of excess iron. Even if you are iron-overloaded, the body still jealously guards its iron stores. The only way to reduce your iron stores predictably is by donating blood. So this altruistic act can have health benefits for the donor as well.
Neal D. Barnard, M.D., is president of the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine, and Associate Director for Behavioral Studies at the Institute for Disease Prevention at George Washington University School of Medicine.
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