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High Iron Intake Can Be Toxic |
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Written by Superhuman
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Thursday, 17 January 2008 |
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Iron plays an important role in health and exercise performance. It’s a vital part of hemoglobin, a chemical found in red blood cells that binds oxygen and carries it to the tissues. Many male athletes assume
they need more iron than normal to boost their endurance and oxygen-carrying capacity. This may be a mistake. In 1997, Finnish researchers found a link between blood iron levels and heart attack. Men with the highest iron stores had three times more heart attacks than men with lower levels. However, the American Heart Association said the studies do not warrant reduced iron intake in men until we have more research. Scientists from University of Kentucky Medical Center presented more bad news about high iron intakes: men who consumed large amounts of heme iron in their diets increased the risk of gallstones by 21 percent, while high intake of non-heme iron had no effect. Heme iron is found in animal sources and is absorbed easily, while non-heme iron comes from vegetables and is absorbed less easily. High iron intake is toxic because the body has no way of eliminating excess amounts. (American Journal Clinical Nutrition, 85: 518-522, 2007)
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