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There is much misunderstanding
about the need to take a dietary
supplement that contains iron
with some people thinking that
men and senior women should
avoid iron supplementation because
iron is one of the nutrients
that has some potential for
toxicity. Men and senior women
are different than menstruating
women, who lose iron though
blood loss during monthly menstruation.
A new study shows why it is
a good idea to recommend that
senior women re-consider whether
to take a dietary supplement
that contains iron. I suggest
that many men should also re-consider
this issue.
The study below from Penn State
University was independently
sponsored and published in a
peer-reviewed journal.
The study text tells us that
35 of 72 well-nourished women
in the study (48 percent) who
were 60 years old and older
were shown to have iron deficiencies,
which can cause health problems
from breathlessness and fatigue
to frequent infections, reduced
IQ and problems concentrating.
While high levels of iron are
associated with increased risk
of some cancers, low iron stores
can increase DNA breakage that
might also result in increased
risk of cancers. One study in
the New England Journal of Medicine
showed that while high body
stores of iron were not associated
with death from heart attacks,
low iron stores were associated
with more deaths from heart
attacks. (Sempos, NEJM, 1994)
The women who were deficient
in iron had as much as 50 percent
less production of immune cells, called T-cells, that fight
invading germs.
The study leader, Namanjeet
Ahluwalia, associate professor
of nutrition, said, "Iron
deficiency in our study was
associated with impairments
of two measures of immunity
at levels that may render older
adults more vulnerable to infections."
While there is a common notion
that most people should not
supplement with iron, iron deficiency
is somewhat common in seniors and others.
I recommend that if a person
has questions about their need
for iron they should get a ferritin
blood test once a year, available
with your doctor's prescription.
Ferritin tests measure iron
storage, the best, easily obtained measurement
of iron in the body. As was
seen in this study, iron deficiency
is probably much more common
than is usually thought. While
this study looked at normal,
well-fed American senior women,
senior men often have similar
diets. Younger men and women
should also consider this study
carefully when making the choice
of whether to take multivitamins
with iron or iron-free.
Last year, I started taking
the iron-free SuperNutrition
Easy-Swallow Opti-Pack to test
myself and see if I needed to
take iron. Within one year my
blood tests showed that my ferritin
(stored iron) measured below the bottom of the normal scale for
the first time in my adult life.
I resumed taking the Easy-Swallow
Opti-Pack with iron, and in
three months my next blood test
showed that my ferritin was
returning to the low end of the normal scale. I found
that I need to take supplemental iron.
Make wise choices by asking
for the blood tests that tell
you exactly what is happening
in your own body, as no two
people are exactly alike. Ask
your doctor for a ferritin test
when you get your yearly health
screening.
Reference: Ahluwalia N, and
associates. Immune function
is impaired in iron-deficient,
homebound, older women. American
Journal of Clinical Nutrition
2004 Mar;79(3):516-21.
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