Iron is very important to health but conversely, excessive amounts are unhealthy. High levels rapidly cause aging, bring on heart disease, Parkinson, Alzheimer’s, and ALS.

High levels are associated with atherosclerosis, heart attack, stroke and heart failure.  Excessive unbound iron produces destructive free radicals that fuel cardiovascular disease.

Iron is important to proper blood transport of oxygen…needed by all cells of your body. It is responsible for healthy red blood cells and good oxygen transport.  The hemoglobin molecule has a central atom of iron; without this key atom, oxygen transport stops. Many co factors are involved in the assimilation, transport, release and function of iron in your body. Too much or too little available iron is a problem.

The body has a fail-safe system of regulation; however it is limited. According to Dr. Blaylock we only need 1mg to 2 mg of iron daily.  The daily average dietary intake is 15 mg to 20 mg.  Iron absorption from the small intestine is determined by:

• Iron levels in the body already

• How much iron is needed by red blood cells

• The oxygen level of your blood

The regulation of iron is dependent upon several things…hormones, enzymes and protein carriers. The form of iron utilized by the body is very important.  There are two molecules of iron found in your body.  Only the reduced form is utilized by your body.  The two molecules are F-3 and F-2.  Only F-2 is active and utilizable by your body.  The F-3 form must be reduced by adding an electron.  This makes F-2 highly active and capable of oxidation so it must be bound.

The cells of the small intestine absorb the F-2 form and store it in the enterocytes (cells of small intestine).  The remainder goes into the blood stream and is attached to a carrier protein called transferrin. Upon reaching its destination in the body, i.e. cellular receptors, it becomes attached to a protein called ferritin.  Ferritin protects and shields cells from the free radical damage of unbound iron.

Further function of iron is driven by two counter-balancing hormones, hepcidin and ferroportin. The hepcidin decreases iron absorption and is propelled by inflammation. Inflammation tells the body no more damaging iron wanted and hepcidin obliges. (It can actually send the false message of iron deficiency because iron is not released from cellular storage.)

Ferroportin regulates the removal of iron stored in cells. Iron is made available where needed.  Inflammation, genetics influences and unknown factors can be disruptive to the complexities of iron metabolism.  There is an association of highly available iron levels and Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and heart disease. Inflammation accompanies too much iron.

Studies show unbound iron can dramatically increase the incidence of Alzheimer’s when there are genetic aberrations.  A gene defect that causes transferrin’s (iron carrier) over activity results in the increased risk of Alzheimer’s.

Another driver of excess iron is a gene for homochromatosis. When the transferrin and the defective homochromatosis gene are present together there was found a 500% increase in Alzheimer’s.

A further culprit associated with destructive iron metabolism is excitotoxicity. Excitotoxicity is over stimulation of brain cells.  When this happens it attracts excessive iron to brain cells and causes neurodegenerative brain damage.

The extra unbound iron overpowers the balancing ferritin and results in brain cell damage and can produce brain diseases.  The bottom line result is too much available iron. This is destructive to brain health as well as causing atherosclerosis produced by inflammation from free radical iron…Denis Van Loan D.D.S.

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