Iron Overload

[blueskymyne]

Iron overload and moderate iron in a free unbound state creates the environment for bacteria, virus, parasites and protozoa to grow no different than the requirements of a young child with expanding blood cells. These pathogens need the same thing.

A very overlooked point as most of the food in the U.S. is overloaded with iron from iron fortification programs.

Cereals, breads, pastas etc all have this added iron. Now found to have 50-90 percent more than on the label as inconsistancies vary in processing.

To prove the point. Grind up a bowl of Total cereal in the blender with water. Dump back into a bowl and run a strong magnet through it. You will obtain iron particles.

This type of iron does not assimilate well and oxidizes in the liver as it rusts.

In the 1940s Sweeden began food fortifaction programs. In the 70s they discontinued the programs as a 350 percent rise in cancer had occured.

The U.S. has over-fortified everything by FDA food fortification programs and as a result this has added to the now epidemic cancer rates, bacterial infections, viral infections, chirosis, hepatitis and hemachomatosis.

This is the wrong type of iron as it is nothing but ground up steal, i.e iron sulfate and iron fumarate.

Combine this this with a standard diet of red meat and vitamins that contain iron and men are generally overloaded.

We were only meant to get iron from organic vegetables and meat sources, not steal.

The average 40 year old male has 400 times the amount of iron he needs and there are no mechanisms in the body to get rid of excess iron once storage capacity is filled via ferratin and others.

Iron is only needed by younger persons to age 18 or so while red blood cells are expanding. Women who mense also.

This is the prime reason women outlive men is that they release more iron. After menapause they start accumulating.

Geritol commericials in the 70s and early 80s promoted this IRON-ically to older persons which only sped their demise with cancer rates and other diseases associated with iron overload.

My point is that it is more prudent to avoid iron laden fortified foods, supplements containing iron, too much red meat and foods that promote iron absorbtion.

Middle age men and post menapausal women should flush excess free unbound iron out of the system first by doing a once yearly flush for 30 days using the iron binding molecule ip-6 to bind up excess free iron in the blood stream.

This is the most overlooked fact of disease and most antibiotics and cancer drugs have modeled after this aspect of iron control. But they are not effective in removing excess iron.

Discussion as it pertains only to vitamin c or ascorbate iv is pointless without this understanding. Those have their place but the iron excess must be controlled first and that is always overlooked in the control of bacteria, virus, protazoa and cancer cells.

[ofonorow]

Iron overload and moderate iron in a free unbound state creates the environment for bacteria, virus, parasites and protozoa to grow no different than the requirements of a young child with expanding blood cells. These pathogens need the same thing.

Along with about 40 other nutrients.

A very overlooked point as most of the food in the U.S. is overloaded with iron from iron fortification programs.

Cereals, breads, pastas etc all have this added iron. Now found to have 50-90 percent more than on the label as inconsistancies vary in processing.

To prove the point. Grind up a bowl of Total cereal in the blender with water. Dump back into a bowl and run a strong magnet through it. You will obtain iron particles.

This type of iron does not assimilate well and oxidizes in the liver as it rusts.

Anyone can view this experiment. Follow the link to Dr. Levy's video - http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/videos

In the 1940s Sweeden began food fortifaction programs. In the 70s they discontinued the programs as a 350 percent rise in cancer had occured.

The U.S. has over-fortified everything by FDA food fortification programs and as a result this has added to the now epidemic cancer rates, bacterial infections, viral infections, chirosis, hepatitis and hemachomatosis.

This is the wrong type of iron as it is nothing but ground up steal, i.e iron sulfate and iron fumarate.

Combine this this with a standard diet of red meat and vitamins that contain iron and men are generally overloaded.

We were only meant to get iron from organic vegetables and meat sources, not steal.

Lets accept most of this as fact, it is also true the food fortification left out important substances, such as vitamin B6, magnesium, etc. The argument above does not to isolate iron is the main culprit. It might be. It might not.

The average 40 year old male has 400 times the amount of iron he needs and there are no mechanisms in the body to get rid of excess iron once storage capacity is filled via ferratin and others.

On what basis do you make the claim of 400 times? Compared to what? What are the numbers?

The primary mechanism to rid (regulate) the body of iron is vitamin C

Iron is only needed by younger persons to age 18 or so while red blood cells are expanding. Women who mense also.

This is the prime reason women outlive men is that they release more iron. After menapause they start accumulating.

Geritol commericials in the 70s and early 80s promoted this IRON-ically to older persons which only sped their demise with cancer rates and other diseases associated with iron overload.

Increased cancer rates are not evidence that iron is the culprit. What is the evidence?

My point is that it is more prudent to avoid iron laden fortified foods, supplements containing iron, too much red meat and foods that promote iron absorbtion.

This is prudent, especially the idea to avoid supplements with iron. Any mineral becomes poisonous at some level, but that level varies and is based on biochemical individuality. Note, by avoiding red meat, one also avoids a good source of CoQ10, carnitine, etc.

Middle age men and post menapausal women should flush excess free unbound iron out of the system first by doing a once yearly flush for 30 days using the iron binding molecule ip-6 to bind up excess free iron in the blood stream.

What do we really know about this? Can you point any of us interested in this to any research?

This is the most overlooked fact of disease and most antibiotics and cancer drugs have modeled after this aspect of iron control. But they are not effective in removing excess iron.

Discussion as it pertains only to vitamin c or ascorbate iv is pointless without this understanding.

That is why we created this forum - to encourage the free expression of ideas. I don't happen to agree. As far as I know, iron levels have little bearing on the effectiveness of IVC, but I'd be more than willing to examine any evidence to the contrary..

Those have their place but the iron excess must be controlled first and that is always overlooked in the control of bacteria, virus, protazoa and cancer cells.

This is amorphous (if that is the right word). Where are the specifics? What is the strategy? What is the therapy? How do we measure and evaluate this therapy? And where is the scientific evidence that such an approach has a light at the end of the tunnel?

If I had iron overload - I'd want IV vitamin C to rid my body of the excess iron.

[Ralph Lotz]

This excellent book by Bill Sardi tells you how and why to get the iron out.
Available as a download only since paperback has sold out.

For the rust of the story, Read summary here:

http://www.naturalhealthlibrarian.com/e ... 20Overload

[ofonorow]

By middle age, males will store twice as much of this mineral and experience twice the diabetes, cancer and heart disease as females.

Ralph, is this true do you think?

Especially the claim that the rates of these diseases is double in men??

I think this paper by Sardi is a better reference than the ad for the book

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi10.html

Sardi makes an Interesting case. Wish we knew whether the basic assumptions/facts were valid.

[blueskymyne]

By middle age, males will store twice as much of this mineral and experience twice the diabetes, cancer and heart disease as females.

Ralph, is this true do you think?

Especially the claim that the rates of these diseases is double in men??

I think this paper by Sardi is a better reference than the ad for the book

http://www.lewrockwell.com/orig/sardi10.html

Sardi makes an Interesting case. Wish we knew whether the basic assumptions/facts were valid.

Owen,

Thanks for the levy link. I havent seen it yet concerning the fortification of food. Still trying to figure out media player. Might parallel other sources.



Here is more info about irons role.

This book is expensive and can be found on amazon, used for 140.00 new for 340.00 or so.

"Iron and infection" "Molecular, physiological and clinical aspects" by D.J Bullen

(at least view it on amazon and the chapters inside).


Referrences to iron and cancer can be found with shummadin and his team.

jn.nutrition.org/cgi/content/Full/133/11/3778S




Iron accumulation in men is the prime reason women generally outlive men.

As stated it is easy to see on Sardis link the photos of the rusted liver. I do believe this is occuring to the use of the metallic form of iron in food fortification as it oxidizes as it accumulates.

The FDA cannot treat the entire population as if it were aneamic. The needs vary by age and gender. You will never see warning labels on fortified foods or iron supplements regarding males over 18 years of age.

Im not saying avoid red meat in its entirety. Of course there are vital nutrients to be gained from red meat.
Just two simple rules. Organic based low marbled fat meat and in moderation.

This was only meant to share information concerning other factors. I am and always will be a strong proponent of vitamin c oral and i.v. C.


I am currently flushing with ip-6 this month. This is my second year. I do it once a year and will continue to do so.
Any iron I take in will come from chorella, wolfberries, vegetables and select types of red meat in moderation.

[Ralph Lotz]

Owen,

Both the Sardi book and essay are well researched and documented.
Which facts/assumptions are you referring to?

Keep your eyes peeled for more from Sardi on iron overload and health.
He tells me that he is on to something big!

[ofonorow]

Ralph,

I can outline the specific assertions, but in general, I find the focus on iron, as if other variables didn't exist, to be difficult to accept.

The first assertion I question is that the rate of chronic disease is DOUBLE in men, than women, at least prior to menapuase. This is news to me. Lets start there.

I thought that if iron overload is so prevalent as we age, there should be premortal symptoms that would be obvious. A search led to the following excellent web site

http://www.diagnose-me.com/cond/C518176.html

There are quite a few symptoms of excess iron, and there is no question that excessive iron causes all the problems Sardi mentions. But how real is this issue, especially if you have vitamin C to chelate the iron? I think the following might be an easy way to identify people with iron overload, as iron overload causes inflammation. (Earlier symptoms are apparently joint pain and fatigue.)

Excessive skin pigmentation (bronzing) is present in more than 90% of symptomatic patients at the time of diagnosis. Deposition of iron within the skin causes inflammation and enhances melanin production by melanocytes. Patients usually notice a generalized increased pigmentation and occasionally notice that they tan very easily. This is due to ultraviolet light exposure and iron acting synergistically to induce skin pigmentation. Fair-skinned persons, who usually tan poorly, may never develop hyperpigmentation despite large iron burdens. Ethnically dark-complexioned patients (for example, people of Mediterranean descent) can develop a striking almond-colored hue. With particularly heavy iron overload, visible iron deposits sometimes appear in the skin as a grayish discoloration.

[ofonorow]

http://care.diabetesjournals.org/cgi/co ... /7/1605#T1

Mortality and Causes of Death in a National Sample of Diabetic Patients in Taiwan


This is only one country, but does seem to support the assertion that young men have a significantly higher death rate than young women (especially diabetics) and that this mortality difference is reduced after menapause. (See Table 1 for a side-by-side comparison of male versus female deaths)

This large difference is surprising to me, and I wonder if this relationship holds for the population as a whole? Are twice as many men, for example dying of heart disease than women prior to age 60? But even if true, while iron may be the root cause, perhaps more men smoke than women? Or perhaps men are in more hazardous occupations, or perhaps women eat better than men (We know from ACTUAL studies cited in the Levy book that women have significantly higher vitamin C levels in their blood).

But still, I'm glad that Sardi's basic assertion (apparently) isn't wrong.

[ofonorow]

Well, we do know, and Sardi agrees, that the only vitamin that has been proven to reduce mortality rates, i.e., improve your life expectancy, is vitamin C. There are now several reliable studies that have shown this.

Yet, vitamin C dramatically increases the bioavailability of iron in the diet.

How can this be? Conundrum?

If Sardi and others are right about iron, then the answer may be that vitamin C is an iron chelator, and one reason for its effect on longevity extension is due to its ability to rid the body of excess iron. (This is contrary to medical dogma, which probably means its true.)

I guess the question is whether animals, in general, suffer from iron overload. If they do, something is wrong with this guess. If they do not, then this fact would be more support for the idea that a primary function of vitamin C is to chelate heavy metals and rid them from the body.

[ofonorow]

hemosiderosis

Quick google search showed that the animals susceptible to iron overload are the mynah bird, and some primates. If the mynah, like some parrots, doesn't make its own vitamin C, then the issue of iron overload is coming more into focus.

Even if mynah's, in general, do make ascorbate, there can be genetic variations where some birds may have lost the ability.

Let me know if anyone finds an other animal that makes its own vitamin C that is generally susceptible to iron overload. Thx.

[Dolev]

Owen,

I'd like a source for your information about C being an iron chelator, and about the non-C producing mammals getting iron overload. Thanks.

Dolev

[ofonorow]

Owen,

I'd like a source for your information about C being an iron chelator, and about the non-C producing mammals getting iron overload. Thanks.

Dolev

My "sources" on ascorbate being a (probable) iron chelator are Dr. Cathcart and another doctor in Malaysia who report monitoring the unbound iron (ferritin?) levels in their patients, and have noticed this effect. See:
http://www.vitamincfoundation.org/faqdoc.html

The Sardi article mentions the myna bird's iron overload - and you can do a google search and find out more about this case.

One can't prove C is the iron regulator in animals, but, I think you can prove that C isn't an iron regulator if iron overload is common in most animals.

I've been doing this research "on the fly" because if the animal kingdom, in general, was prone to Iron overload - then vitamin C is probably not an iron Chelator. However, if it is only the animals that aren't making their own ascorbate that suffer Iron overload on a regular basis, then a case could be made that ascorbate is probably the primary iron regulator.

I don't know the answer, I'm in the middle of this and was asking for help! I did see an article about iron overload in a lemur (primate) but so far, not in dogs, lions, tigers or bears, etc.

p.s., I've always thought that ascorbates ability to decrease mortality rates had to do with reducing heart disease and cardiovascular disease - the leading killers. I find this iron connection intriguing, as C's ability to chelate heavy metals (the mercury-free dentists recommend IVC drips when they are taking mercury amalgams out, etc.) may also have a strong effect.

[Dolev]

While we're talking about animals, does anyone know where Dr. Rath gets in information that bears have cholesterol levels of 500 (or something like that). I sent to the Rath foundation asking this question, but received no answer. Maybe someone knows where a bear is hibernating, and can sneak in and get a blood sample?

[ofonorow]

No on the bear, but I was surprised by the Minah bird story as apparently blood glucose levels of 300 mg/dl is normal for these birds... (humans are around 90 mg/dl)

[quickstep]

There is another way to reduce Iron, endurance exercise. I train with a large group of runners who are trying to Qualify for the Olympics in the Marathon, it is well know that we require extra Iron, those who neglect their Iron levels will be very tired and unable to perform at a high level for at least a month (until Iron stores are replenished).