I needed to disable self sign-ups because I’ve been getting too many spam-type accounts. Thanks.
Key ideas & Summary
As I said on another thread, I'm scared to take any supps because of unforseen problems like the vitamin c/iron thing that you mention. (or all of our A problems!! )
I just went and looked, it says on the interwebs that the RDA for iron for a menopausal woman like myself is 8mg
and that beef has 2.2
and egg whites have 0
So maybe I'm doing ok. I really only get the urge for meat once in the eve, but do eat a few egg whites in the other meals.
Hi Sheila, @sheilae
My experience is by no means standard because I have faulty iron metabolism so I don't know if what happens with my iron metabolism would translate to someone without that problem. I have genetic haemochromatosis (GH) or iron overload.
I thought it might be helpful if I added my thoughts though.
In general someone with GH does not experience high haemoglobin (Hb). The excess iron is stored in the tissues and the body keeps it's Hb on an even keel so to speak. So I'm not sure if your high Hb is indicative of high iron generally. My iron status is monitored by measuring my ferritin levels for the most part which is an indication of stored iron. Ideally my transferrin saturation should also be monitored. Transferrin is a bit like retinol binding protein in that transferrin keeps iron safely bound. Unbound iron is highly reactive and is what causes so much damage.
Our body controls it's iron levels by monitoring how much iron we have and then increasing or decreasing the number of specialised cells in the gut that are responsible for absorbing iron according to need. ie we can't control our iron levels by actively excreting the stuff so we control how much we take in.
Obviously this mechanism is not fool-proof or no-one with a normal iron metabolism would get elevated iron levels and that is not the case. This is where I have a problem because I don't produce the signalling hormone hepcidin (or not enough at any rate) so my body thinks the iron tank is empty and steps up absorption regardless of my actual iron levels.
Vitamin C does indeed increase iron absorption but only non-heme iron (ie iron from plants). It doesn't affect heme iron absorption (iron from meat). To affect iron absorption the vit C needs to be taken with food. Taken away from food will not affect iron absorption. Heme and non-heme iron are absorbed by different cellular mechanisms.
I am eating a lot of meat at the moment (about 280g cooked weight per day) and it is not significantly impacting the rate at which I am loading with iron. Not sure what is going on there to be honest. It was just a relief when I recently had my levels checked. I get to keep my blood for a little longer 🙂
I have experimented in the past and believe that turmeric paste helped when I was being de-ironed (getting my high iron levels down when first diagnosed). I am not currently taking it because my gut is really sensitive and I think it was irritating it a bit. I will probable try it again soon. Turmeric is low vit A. I think if you can, regular blood donation is the best way forward but if you can't then turmeric is a fall back option.
Hope some of that is useful to you.
Hi Rachel, @rachel Thanks for all the great information. I always thought I should get checked for GH or a recessive variant of it. I've donated blood regularly in the last 6 years (3 times/year usually) and last year my ferritin level was 130. High but still in the normal range. Some cardiologists who read up on iron say a better level is 50 apparently. Anyway, 130 surprised me because 2 of my sisters can only donate once a year. Their ferritin goes too low if they donate more frequently...it goes below 20 and they feel it. After they donate they both find taking a heme iron supplement helps them feel better. I must really come from a different branch of the family tree!
Reading your paragraph about transferrin was interesting. Seems to be a lot of similarities with how the body handles both iron and retinol...Binding them and/or sequestering them away in our liver and tissues where they can do less harm. Amazing how our bodies do this!
Thanks for the tip about vitamin C . I'll be sure to take it away from meals. I was taking it regularly through the day this past spring when I thought it would help while eating low A. I haven't been taking supplements regularly this past month. C,B's and E just once last week. Maybe I'll start taking them a few times a week and C away from meals for sure.
Good to know about turmeric for this issue. I used to take a curcumin supplement for hip pain. Maybe I'll start that up again. Apparently phytic acid helps reduce ferritin too. In which case, maybe I should be eating brown rice too. Hmmm.
I probably overreacted to my high Hgb last time I gave blood. It was just so much higher than the time before. (was 155 in January and 175 in May). It startled me and set my BP too high to give blood that day. Although it seems to me, if they had let me give blood, it would only have lowered my BP. Oh well, they have to have parameters.
From reading your post I realize I should get my ferritin done again. Maybe it is the same... or less! It's reassuring to know you are eating a fair amount of meat and this hasn't impacted your iron status negatively. Thanks!
Hi Sheila @sheilae
I found out about my GH through a 23andme test. It showed I had two copies of the most serious gene which put me at high risk. I remembered some tests I had done with a CFS clinic 5 years prior to this where the iron panel had been abnormal (although not massively so). My practitioner at the time dismissed the abnormal iron results. This was enough for me to go to my GP and request further testing which showed I did have GH (ie was actively loading). I was lucky -because of the genetic heads up we picked it up early. There is no history of GH in my family even though both of my parents are carriers. My ferritin at its highest was around 350. Many with GH don't get diagnosed until their ferritin is in the 1000s.
We aim to keep my ferritin under 50. I have venesections as soon as it goes over this.
I just asked Bob's Red Mill if their organic white flour is enriched and they said no.
Hi again Rachel.
You ARE lucky to have found that out! I'm sure you'd agree, it shouldn't have been a matter of luck. Wouldn't it be great if testing for hemochromatosis would be a routine test just to rule it out at a young age, kind of like the PKU test that is done on all newborns.
A ferritin of 50 is what I am aiming for too. That's great that you have a doctor who is helping you keep it there. I think I'll wait til after I donate blood next month before I get some bloodwork ordered- but I am curious about my ferritin now!
Hi lil-chick, I just checked on Amazon.ca and both their all-purpose and bread white wheat flours are fortified here in Canada. Mandatory. Too bad. Glad you can get it unfortified!