Trying VC but Iron Soars

[scooby43215]

Hello Good Folks,
Again I am trying to take VC, but each time I slowly try to get to bowel tolerance, my Iron levels soar! Any suggestions?
Thank you for your time.
James

[DanSco]

I'm rather ignorant about iron levels. How does one know if their iron levels are too high?

[Ken_RN]

I'm rather ignorant about iron levels. How does one know if their iron levels are too high?

Check this link from the Iron Disorders Institute:
http://www.irondisorders.org/Disorders/Acquired.asp

Some of the signs/symptoms listed include:

• chronic fatigue
• arthritic pain in joints
• loss of libido (sex drive) or impotence
• amenorrhea (premature cessation of menstrual cycle)
• changes in skin color such as jaundice, bronze or gray-olive colored skin, a tan without being in the sun, redness in the palms of the hands
• abdominal pain
• weight loss
• shortness of breath
• chest pain
• heart arrhythmia
• depression
• elevated blood sugar
• hypothyroidism
• enlargement of spleen
• elevated liver enzymes (ALT/AST)

Granted, these are pretty non-specific and presence of any one of these may be unrelated to your iron levels. The best way is to have some lab testing done. Dr. Mercola has a good article on this at:
http://www.mercola.com/2002/dec/18/iron_diagnosis.htm

[Ken_RN]

Hello Good Folks,
Again I am trying to take VC, but each time I slowly try to get to bowel tolerance, my Iron levels soar! Any suggestions?
Thank you for your time.
James

How are you determining your iron level, especially the increase taking place in such a small time frame (ie.. as you are approaching bowel tolerance of vitamin C)?

From the VCF FAQ for docs, question #2, http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/faqdocs.html Dr. Cathcart states:

My clinical experience would indicate that vitamin C increases iron absorption when iron is needed. It seems to increase excretion of iron when there is an excessive amount of iron. Therefore, vitamin C might be a good treatment of hemochromatosis.

If iron overload is indeed a problem for you then IP6 (aka inositol hexaphosphate or phytic acid) - an oral chelator of iron - may be of use to you. See
http://www.knowledgeofhealth.com/report.asp?story=Iron%20and%20Chelation
http://www.knowledgeofhealth.com/report.asp?story=The%20IP6%20Rice%20Bran%20Cleanse
http://www.naturalhealthlibrarian.com/1008_Irontimebomb.asp

[Kay]

Are you taking additional iron in something else?
Vitamin C is not going to add iron to your body. Correct me, someone if that's wrong.

I personally, do not ever believe in taking any additional iron. I think its dangerous. A really good mineral formula will not (IMO) contain iron.
I am wondering how you correlate the C with the iron? Too much iron is not a good thing. You are wise to check this out.

[jo]

I've never seen a mineral complex tablet without iron.

Where can i get such thing?

[Kay]

Jo, that's easy! For eight years, I have been taking
Mineral Rich from Maximum Living
http://www.makinghealthychoices.com

Its in solution so it goes right into your cells. It is wonderful.
I have family members who while paying little attention to anything else
I preach, keep asking me to "get me a bottle" they love it.

and I have not been anemic in all this time.

[Dolev]

Vitamin C is not going to add iron to your body. Correct me, someone if that's wrong.

Vitamin C causes iron absorption by reducing it from Fe3+ to Fe2+, the absorbable form.

[Guest]

Jo, Bronson Laboratories has one called "therapeutic vitamin & Mineral Formula - without Iron". http://www.bronsonvitamins.com

[Kay]

Dolev, thank you! I didn't know that. I am here to learn.
I'm glad then, that I do not take any additional iron.

[Dolev]

By the way, the same reduced Fe2+ ion is the type in hemoglobin that binds oxygen. In some conditions the iron in the hemoglobin could be in the oxidized form and not bind oxygen.