November’s article on excess iron in the blood dealt with some of the ways in which we accumulate excess iron in the blood and how it may effect one’s health.

There are a number of things we can do to keep our iron levels low to avoid serious health issues.  In the previous article, I mentioned blood donation, lowering alcohol consumption, avoiding foods and supplements with added iron and not smoking as ways to do this.  There are also things to inhibit the absorption of dietary iron such as phytates, tannins in green and black tea and coffee, oxalates, various polyphenols and calcium supplements.  Experiments have shown the tannins in green tea to be very helpful in reducing atherosclerosis thus cardiovascular disease.

Four cups of green tea a day lowers the risk by one-third.  Green tea was also found to be effective against osteoporosis through beneficial effects on bone mineral density of the total body.  Antioxidants should be consumed daily, as well as bioflavonoids like quercetin, cranberry, bilberry, blueberry, milk thistle, grapeseed extract and lemon.

Part one and part two of this article have been written for information purposes only. Consult your physician for any excess iron-related concerns.

~Lois Dickey
Vitamin Department Manager

Excerpt from “Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron”, by E.D. Weinberg, Ph.D.