The Left Side of Consumption Too Much Iron
Iron is a very important mineral, so excess or iron deficiency can cause immeasurable consequences

Iron is an essential mineral. However, like many other nutrients, it is harmful when using large doses.

In fact, iron is so toxic that it must be tightly controlled in the gastrointestinal tract. For most parts, this minimizes the harmful effects of excess iron.

When this safety mechanism fails, then health problems arise.

This article discusses the possible negative effects of excessive iron consumption.

What is iron?

Iron is an essential mineral in the daily diet and is mainly used by red blood cells.

That is an important part of a protein found in red blood cells. Hemoglobin is responsible for providing oxygen to all cells in the body.

There are two types of iron in the diet:

  • Heme iron: This type of iron is found only in foods of animal origin, mainly Red meat . It is more easily absorbed than non-heme iron.
  • Non-heme iron: Most of the iron in the diet is non-heme. It is found in both animals and plants. Absorption can be enhanced with organic acids, such as vitamin C, but will be reduced by plant compounds such as phytate .

People who consume little or no heme iron in their diet are at risk of iron deficiency .

Many people lack iron in them especially women. In fact, iron deficiency is the most common mineral deficiency in the world .

Conclude: Iron is an essential mineral in the diet and plays an important role in transporting oxygen in the body. Iron deficiency is a common condition for women.

Adjustment of iron reserves

The Left Side of Consumption Too Much Iron
The rate of iron absorption in the digestive tract is tightly regulated by the hormone hepcidin

There are two reasons why the body's iron content is tightly regulated:

  • Iron is an essential nutrient, which plays an important role in many of the body's main functions. Therefore it is necessary a small amount .
  • High iron content can lead to toxicity, so we should avoid absorption too much.

The body controls the amount of iron by adjusting the rate of iron absorption from the gastrointestinal tract.

Hormones help regulate iron in the body It is the responsibility of balancing the iron stock. Its main function is to prevent iron absorption.

Basically, this is how it works :

  • High iron stores -> increased levels of hepcidin -> reduced iron absorption.
  • Low iron intake -> reduced hepcidin content -> increased iron absorption.

Usually this system works quite well. However, some disorders inhibit the production of hepcidin which can lead to a condition

On the other hand, the stimulation of hepcidin formation may cause iron deficiency.

Iron balance is also affected by the amount of iron in our diet. Over time, a low-iron diet can cause a deficiency. Similarly, supplementing with iron overdose can cause severe iron poisoning.

Conclude: The rate of iron absorption in the digestive tract is tightly regulated by the hormone hepcidin. However, some disorders caused by overloading iron can break this delicate balance.

Toxicity of iron

The Left Side of Consumption Too Much Iron
Early symptoms of iron poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting

The toxicity of can be released unexpectedly or slowly.

Many dangerous health problems can be caused by accidental overdose, high dose supplementation for a long time, or chronic iron overload disorders.

Under normal conditions, there is very little free iron circulating in the blood.

It is linked to such proteins keep it harmless.

However, iron toxicity can significantly increase "free" iron levels in the body.

Free iron is one - In contrast to antioxidants - can be harmful to cells.

Some conditions can make this happen:

  • Poisoning S Sure: Poisoning can occur when humans, usually children, supplement iron overdose .
  • Inherited iron: A genetic disorder characterized by iron absorption from food (7).
  • Excess iron in c Phi Phi: a type of iron overload diet due to food and water containing a large amount of iron. This was first seen in Africa where homemade beer was brewed in iron barrels .

Acute iron poisoning occurs when people take iron supplements over the dose. Only a low dose of 10-20 mg / kg can lead to harmful symptoms. At doses higher than 40 mg / kg medical care is needed .

Similarly, continuous high-dose iron supplementation can also cause serious problems. Be sure to follow the iron supplement guidelines and never use more than your doctor's prescription.

Early symptoms of iron poisoning include abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting.

Gradually the excess iron remains in the internal organs and causes serious damage to the brain and liver.

Drinking iron supplements with long-term high doses can gradually cause symptoms similar to iron excess. This issue will be discussed more below.

Conclude: Iron toxicity is related to the effects of iron excess. This can happen when 1) people supplement iron overdose, 2) take a high-dose supplement for too long or 3) suffer from chronic iron overload disorder.

Iron overload

Iron overload is associated with gradual accumulation and leads to too much iron in the body. This weakens the body's regulatory system in controlling iron levels within beneficial limits.

For most people, iron overload is not a concern. However, it is a problem for people who tend to absorb too much iron from the genital gastrointestinal tract.

The most common iron overload disorder is evidence chronic. This leads to iron formation in tissues and internal organs .

Over time, untreated iron overload increases the risk of arthritis, liver problems, diabetes and heart failure .

The body has no easy way to remove iron. The most effective way to remove excess iron is blood loss.

Therefore, women who have menstruation rarely have excess iron. Similarly, people who regularly donate blood are at lower risk.

If you are at risk of iron overload, you can reduce your risk of health problems by:

  • Reduce consumption of foods high in iron such as red meat
  • Donate blood regularly.
  • Avoid taking vitamin C with iron-rich foods.
  • Avoid using iron cooking utensils.

However, if you are not diagnosed with iron excess, it is usually not recommended to reduce iron levels.

Conclude: Iron overload is characterized by excess iron in the body. The most common disorder is hereditary iron overload, which can lead to many health problems. This is not a major concern for most people.

Iron and cancer risk

The Left Side of Consumption Too Much Iron
Overloading heme iron may increase the risk of colon cancer

It is clear that iron overload can lead to cancer in both animals and humans .

It seems that regular blood donation or blood loss may reduce this risk .

Observational studies suggest that large amounts of heme iron may increase the risk of colon cancer .

Human clinical trials suggest that heme iron taken from supplements or red meat may increase the formation of N-nitroso-causing compounds in the gastrointestinal tract .

The link between red meat and cancer is a controversial topic that attracts much attention. Although there are several explanatory mechanisms for each of these contacts, it seems reasonable, but most of the evidence is based on observational studies.

Conclude: Disorders caused by iron overload have been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Studies also suggest that heme iron may increase the risk of colon cancer.

Iron and ng prestige n infection

The Left Side of Consumption Too Much Iron
Iron overload and high-dose iron supplements all increase the risk of infection in some people

Both iron overload and iron deficiency seem to make people more susceptible to infection .

There are two reasons for this :

  • The immune system uses iron to kill harmful bacteria, thus needing the amount of iron needed to fight infection.
  • Increasing the amount of free iron is stimulating the growth of bacteria and viruses. So too much iron can cause opposite effects and increase risk of infection.

Some studies show that iron supplementation may increase the frequency and status of infection to become more serious, although some studies do not find these effects .

People with hereditary iron overload are also more susceptible to infection .

For patients at high risk of infection, iron supplementation should be based on highly grounded. All risks should be taken into account.

Conclude: Iron overload and high-dose iron supplements all increase the risk of infection in some people.

Main message

In short, iron can be dangerous in large quantities.

However, unless you have a disorder caused by overloading, you often don't need to worry about overcharging iron in your diet.

Adding iron is another story. It is beneficial for people with iron deficiency, but it can also be harmful in people without iron deficiency.

Never replenish iron unless ordered by a doctor.