Question: Can you explain what iron overload is? Is it difficult to treat?

Dr. Brownstein's Answer:

Iron is not a toxic heavy metal, but rather is a metal that is essential for human biology. Iron in the blood binds with oxygen and carries it throughout the body to the tissues. Too little iron in the blood results in iron-deficient anemia.

Anemia is corrected by increasing iron intake in the diet (eating more red meat) as well as taking iron supplements or administering it intravenously. However, iron overload can occur in 2 to 5 percent of people. (I wrote about iron overload and the genetic condition known as hemochromatosis in the July 2009 issue of my newsletter, Natural Way to Health.) The highest rates of iron overload occur in men and postmenopausal women.

Too much iron in the tissues leads to increased oxidative stress — an imbalance in the production of chemically reactive molecules containing oxygen — and multiple organ failure. Long-term iron overload can result in blood clots, liver cancer, heart attack, and even death.

The good news is that iron overload complications are entirely preventable. However, to prevent these complications, a proper diagnosis must first be established. Iron overload can be diagnosed using a simple, inexpensive blood test. This blood test should consist of a ferritin level reading as well as a full iron panel.

The treatment for iron overload is to avoid foods that contain refined flour (iron is often added to the flour) and to undergo periodic blood tests.