Too Much Iron, Not Anemia, Problem in U.S.

[Guest guest]

Too Much Iron, Not Anemia, Problem in U.S. JoAnn Guest May 20, 2003 12:05

PDT

 

Too Much Iron, Not Anemia, Problem in U.S.

 

 

 

 

Thursday February 22 10:20 AM ET

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - American doctors have been trained to

relentlessly check patients for anemia, but most older people may have

too much iron in their bodies rather than too little, researchers said

on Thursday.

 

Nearly 13% of volunteers checked as part of an ongoing heart disease

study had too much iron, while only 3% had low stores putting them at

risk of anemia, the researchers reported in the American Journal of

Clinical Nutrition.

 

Having too much iron in the blood can put people at risk of cancer,

diabetes and heart disease. Several studies have shown that people in

industrialized nations who regularly donate blood, thus depleting iron

stores somewhat, have a lower risk of heart attack.

 

Diana Fleming and colleagues at Tufts University in Boston and Boston

University studied 1,016 people aged 67 to 96 who have been taking part

in the long-range Framingham Heart Study.

 

They said older people eating a standard Western diet, which is rich in

red meat and thus in iron, seem to get plenty of iron. Supplements that

contain extra iron may be dangerous, the researchers said.

 

SOURCE: The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition

 

 

 

The complete " Whole Body " Health line consists of the " AIM GARDEN TRIO "

Ask About Health Professional Support Series: AIM Barleygreen

 

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/AIM.html

 

 

 

 

 

The New Search - Faster. Easier. Bingo.