Ray jPeat, PHD had written a paper on the cumulative dangers of iron
back in 1996. He said it is potentially a toxic heavy metal and in
excess, can cause cancer, heart disease, etc. In the 60's the WHO
found that when iron supplements were given to anemic people in
Africa, there was a great increase in the death rate from infectious
diseases, especially malaria. Around the same time, research began
to show that the regulation of iron is a central function of the
immune system because iron is a basic requirement for the survival
and growth of cells of all types, including bacteria, parasites and
cancer. The researcher in the role of iron in immunity believed that
an excess of dietary iron contributed to the development of leukemia
and lymphatic cancers.
For about 60 years, it has been known that blood transfusions damage
immunity, and excess iron has been suspected to be one of the causes.
People who donate blood regularly have been found to be healthier
than non-donors, and healthier than they were before they began
donating. Just like lead, mercury, cadmium, nickel, manganese and
other heavy lmetals, stored iron produces destructive free radicals.
The harmful effects of iron-produced free radicals are practically
indistinguishable from those caused by exposure to X-rays and gamma
rays; both accelerate the accumulation of age pigment and other
signs of aging. Excess iron is a crucial element in the
transformation of stress into tissue damage by free radicals. Many
recent studies show that iron is involved in degenerative brain
diseases such as ALS, Parkinson's, Huntington's Chorea, and
Alzheimer's. Iron in now believed to have a role in skin aging,
atherosclerosis and cataracts largely due through it's formation of
age pigment.
Do women need extra iron?
In menstruation, only a few milligrams are lost each day. Women
absorb iron much more efficiently than men do. For example: from a
similar meal, women will absorb 3x as much iron as men do. When
pregnant, their higher estrogen levels cause them to absorb about 9x
as much as men.
What about anemia?
Many doctors thing of anemia as indicating an iron deficiency but
that isn't correct. In fact, excess iron destroys vit. E and
oxidizing the unsaturated fats in red blood cells can contribute to
hemolytic anemia in which red blood cells break down too fast.
Anemia in women is most often caused by a thyroid deficiency or by
various nutritional deficiencies. Iron deficiency anemia does exist
in laboratory situations and in some cases of chronic bleeding but it
should be considered the last-suspected cause of anemia instead of
the first.
Can cooking in an iron frying pan put iron in food?
Yes, especially if the food is acidic as many sauces are. The added
iron will destroy vitamins in the food besides being potentially
toxic by itself. Vit. C stimulates the absorption of iron and a
deficiency of copper causes our tissues to retain an excess of iron.
I've tried to keep this as short as possible. Dr. Peat explains a
lot more in his article with loads of references of all the studies.
Aloha, Sharie
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