Guest guest Posted April 25, 2003 Report Share Posted April 25, 2003 Hi All: I was wondering, has anybody on this list have any experience or info regarding meat intake in relation to hereditary hemochromatosis? I joined an iron-overload forum since I'm currently dealing with reducing my iron overload from all my previous transfusions, and I've noticed on that list some are advocating avoiding meat and some even promoting a vegetarian diet. Well, I've gone the veggie route before, no thank you. I personally haven't been loading any more iron although I've been eating meats, including red meats daily, and even use iron skillets daily. But then again, I don't have the hereditary hemochromatosis gene. My iron overload was acquired by numerous transfusions and has been reducing since my therapeutic phlebotomies. I don't recall Price noting anything about iron problems with the peoples he studied--hemochromatosis is supposedly very common with Northern Europeans. If anyone has any info or insight to share, I'd appreciate it. TIA, Marla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 Marla wrote: > > Hi All: > > I was wondering, has anybody on this list have any experience or info > regarding meat intake in relation to hereditary hemochromatosis? I joined > an iron-overload forum since I'm currently dealing with reducing my iron > overload from all my previous transfusions, and I've noticed on that list > some are advocating avoiding meat and some even promoting a vegetarian diet. > Well, I've gone the veggie route before, no thank you. I personally haven't > been loading any more iron although I've been eating meats, including red > meats daily, and even use iron skillets daily. But then again, I don't have > the hereditary hemochromatosis gene. My iron overload was acquired by > numerous transfusions and has been reducing since my therapeutic > phlebotomies. I don't recall Price noting anything about iron problems with > the peoples he studied--hemochromatosis is supposedly very common with > Northern Europeans. > > If anyone has any info or insight to share, I'd appreciate it. > > TIA, > > Marla Is iron added to the blood used for transfusions? I've heard IP6 is a good chelator of extra iron. Have you tried it? How do you know you actually have too much iron? Roman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted April 27, 2003 Report Share Posted April 27, 2003 Hi Roman: >Is iron added to the blood used for transfusions? ### Iron is normally in the red blood cells. That's what gives hemoglobin it's red pigment. They do not add iron to blood for transfusions, iron is part of the blood. So, whenever you get a transfusion, you get extra iron which the body doesn't release easily even after the blood cells die off. Iron overload is a common problem for people who need regular blood transfusions. I've had 86 units of red cells over a period of 19 months. Normal ferritin levels for persons without hereditary hemochromatosis genes range between 10-281ng/ml. My latest ferritin test came back at 1,013ng/ml. (It was over 2,100 at one point.) Ferritin is a form of storage iron in the body. A high ferritin level and high saturation level can be indications that the body is depositing extra iron in the tissues such as the liver, spleen, pancreas, etc. We all need iron, but iron-overload can be damaging to the health in many ways. (I'm sure you know that already, though.) >I've heard IP6 is a good chelator of extra iron. Have you tried it? ### Yes, I have tried IP6 with inositol. It has not noticeably lowered my iron stores, however, the phlebotomies have. Thanks for the suggestion, though. >How do you know you actually have too much iron? ### Blood test. Marla Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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