He who knows what iron is, knows the attributes of Mars

He who knows Mars, knows the qualities of iron.

–Paracelsus

he planet Mars, glowing red in the ancient sky, often elicited a curious blend of both fear and reverence in early civilizations. Meaning “bright and burning one,” Mars, and the Roman war–god of the same name, were simultaneously associated with the virtues of strength, and vitality; but also with the vices of anger, wrath, warfare, and destruction.

Of course, the ancients could hardly have known that the factor responsible for making Mars “The Red Planet” was, and is, the high level of chemically reactive iron found in its soils; but this fact makes their assessment of Mars as a deity with a dual and potentially destructive nature, seem all the more fitting.

As it turns out, their mythology hinted at a symbolism which has proved applicable to the realm of modern biology and nutrition. We now know that iron – that essential mineral responsible for strength, energy production, vitality, and the crimson redness of healthy blood – may also double as an agent of our ultimate destruction if we don’t seek out ways to protect ourselves.

Curiously, we mere mortals possess very inefficient means of ridding our body of excess iron – a fatal flaw in human design which causes our levels of this reactive mineral to steadily increase over a lifetime. And in much the same way that oxidation reactions turned the soil on Mars red over eons, iron–induced reactions in our body can manifest as increased levels of pain, inflammation, oxidative stress, and greatly increased risk of degenerative diseases like heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer.

Or, to put it in a more symbolic sense, as we age, the shackles of iron subject our body to the deadly wrath of Mars.

In previous issues of The Integrated Supplements Newsletter, we discussed in detail, how deeply iron is woven into the fabric of aging itself. We then looked at some strategies to ensure that we always absorb and utilize iron as safely and as efficiently as possible.

But even as protective as these strategies are, many of us are still – whether we realize it or not – harboring a lifetime’s worth of stored iron in our body. In this installment, we’re finally ready to take a look at some ways to rid our body of this accumulated burden of excess iron once and for all.

Save A Life – Give Blood

When it comes to ridding our bodies of excess iron, we’ve got a few options worth considering.

The most logical approach – limiting our consumption of iron–rich foods is probably a good place to start. There are also many substances in food which are able to bind iron tightly and which may help us to, at the very least, block iron absorption, and further iron accumulation, from the iron–rich foods we eat (we’ll talk about some of these foods in this article). But our body is so adept at absorbing, storing, and recycling iron, that even a low–iron diet, or a diet rich in iron–binding foods won’t usually help to reduce our bodies’ iron stores all that much. Remember, most of us who have reached adulthood have decades’ worth of stored iron in our tissues – which our body only rids itself of very slowly. It could take years of a very strict iron–controlling diet to even make a dent in the bodies’ iron stores.

Drugs known as iron chelators, which “latch on” to iron and help excrete it from the body, do, in fact, exist. These drugs are commonly given to patients suffering from the genetic disorder, hemochromatosis (a disorder which causes iron to build up to especially dangerous levels), and they’re also used to minimize iron–induced damage to patients who must receive blood transfusions on a regular basis. But as it turns out, the pharmaceutical approach won’t be much help to us either. Because they come with a whole list of toxic side effects, iron–chelating drugs are certainly not suitable for our purposes here.

So, if nutrition falls short, and drugs aren’t the answer either, it may seem that we’ll have one heck of a time getting rid of our iron burden. But luckily, the solution is actually much easier than we may imagine – not to mention free. Quite simply, the safest and most effective way of reducing our bodies’ iron level is by getting rid of the blood that contains it – in other words, by donating blood on a regular basis. Sometimes just a few blood donations will be all it takes to get our iron stores down to safe and healthy levels – after which time we can simply maintain these levels with proper nutrition and/or more infrequent blood donations.

But before we go any further with the details, you may still not be fully convinced that lowering your iron levels will really be all that beneficial. If that’s the case, it’ll help to show you some real–world examples of how simply reducing the bodies’ iron level has been shown to significantly improve (and even completely resolve) disorders associated with iron–induced damage.

Iron and The Mystery of Gout

In the February 2008 edition of the Integrated Supplements Newsletter, we showed you research clearly linking high iron stores with the major diseases of aging, including heart disease, cancer, and Alzheimer’s disease. Of course, whenever a substance like iron is shown to play such a major role across such a wide variety of disease states, it’s a good bet that it’s affecting the body in a very fundamentally negative way. In thinking conceptually about precisely how iron exerts its negative effects, researchers have subsequently been able to discover the root causes of some seemingly very mysterious disorders.

One such disorder is gout – or as it’s alternately known, gouty or metabolic arthritis. In gout, crystals of a compound called uric acid build up in joint tissue causing excruciating pain and inflammation. Gout most frequently affects the joint of the big toe, and it has commonly been noted that even the weight of a simple bed sheet on the gout–affected joint is enough to cause almost unbearable pain.

For centuries, gout has been thought of as a disease which is brought on by indulgence in rich food and drink. Subsequently, gout has historically been thought of as a disorder which mostly affected the more affluent classes of society.

And, in keeping with this historical assessment of the disease, the current “conventional medical thinking” with regard to gout calls for the avoidance of foods containing substances called purines. Purines can indeed be found in historical foods of affluence and over–indulgence like meats (especially organ meats), and seafoods. Metabolically speaking, our body converts purines first to substances called xanthines, and then ultimately, to uric acid. And limiting purine consumption from food does seem to reduce circulating uric acid levels in the blood, so limiting purine–rich foods would seem to be a good first step in avoiding attacks of gout.

Too bad it doesn’t work.

The curious thing about uric acid and gout is that many people with very high levels of uric acid never seem to develop gout. Similarly, many people with normal uric acid levels often develop gout. If high uric acid levels were the cause of gout as is the standard medical position, then the higher a person’s uric acid levels, the higher their risk of gout attacks would be, but that just doesn’t seem to be the case.

This fact is direct evidence that the standard medical position on gout is clearly lacking. To obtain a fuller understanding of the disease, scientists knew that they needed to find the factor (or factors) actually causing uric acid to crystallize in the joints, as opposed to simply circulating around the bloodstream as it does in non–gout–affected individuals.

In solving this puzzle, somewhere along the line someone saw fit to take a fresh look at what was known about gout. They found:

• Most people with high uric acid levels never suffer gout attacks.

• Many people with normal uric acid levels do suffer gout attacks.

• Gout is triggered by foods such as muscle meats, and organ meats.

• The consumption of alcohol increases gout attacks.

• Conditions such as heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, are known risk factors for gout.

• Gout is common in men, but only seems to affect women after menopause.

From this list, and with what we now know about iron (see the February and March 2008 Integrated Supplements Newsletters) it’s easy to see that iron may play an important role in triggering the formation of uric acid crystals.

Of course, we know that muscle meats and organ meats contain large amounts of iron. Alcohol is well–known to drastically accelerate iron–absorption; conditions like heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes, are strongly linked to the body’s iron levels; and women develop gout mostly in post–menopause – a time when menstruation ceases, and their iron–levels begin to rise dramatically.

It’s also been found that uric acid possesses antioxidant function, and that uric acid has a particular affinity for iron. As one of its protective antioxidant functions, uric acid has the ability to bind iron and prevent some of the free radical damage iron can cause. In what can only be considered one of our bodies’ defense mechanisms against iron’s toxicity, the presence of iron actually increases the production of the enzymes which produce uric acid.

Studies have found high amounts of iron in the uric acid crystals deposited in the joints of gout patients; and it’s been proposed that when uric acid binds iron, that it’s the complex, or combination of iron and uric acid which causes these uric acid crystals to form in the joint tissue. But it seems that uric acid doesn’t bind iron quite “tightly” enough to prevent all iron–induced free radical damage. When complexed to uric acid, and deposited in the joints, iron is so chemically destructive that it’s still the driving force behind the free radical damage, inflammation, and pain characteristic of gout:

Study Link – Complexation of iron cation by sodium urate crystals and gouty inflammation

Quote from the above study:

These results suggest that some portion of gouty inflammation after urate crystal deposition could result from the incomplete complexation of iron with subsequent catalytic generation of reactive oxygen species.

So, if it’s actually iron, and not uric acid which is the catalyst for the formation of uric acid crystals in gout; and if it’s iron which is responsible for the pain and inflammation of gout attacks, some researchers logically wondered what would happen if gout sufferers were specifically treated to reduce their bodies’ iron levels.

A researcher, and internal medicine specialist from the University of California, San Francisco set out to study just that – and the results he achieved were nothing short of amazing.

In a preliminary study testing the hypothesis, Dr. Francesco Faccini enrolled twelve patients with a history of gout to undergo regular blood donations in effort to reduce their iron stores. The goal of the blood donations (or as they’re called in medical lingo, phlebotomies, or venesections) was not only to achieve a “normal” iron status in the patients, but to achieve a state of near–iron deficiency (NID), or, the lowest iron level achievable, without impairing the proper production of red blood cells.

The study looked at the incidence and severity of gout attacks among the twelve patients in the two years preceding the initiation of regular blood donations, and for two years thereafter. Once a near–iron deficiency state was reached (which took on average, 7 blood donations over the course of 8 to 11 months), a full 7 out of 12 patients noticed complete remission of gout – that is, over 58% of the study participants suffered zero gout attacks as long as their iron levels remained low.

And all of the remaining 5 patients noticed a significant reduction in both frequency and severity of their gout attacks. So, this study found that a near–iron deficiency state either completely halted, or significantly decreased the frequency and severity gout attacks in all patients studied – without any side–effects whatsoever.

Study Link – Near–iron deficiency–induced remission of gouty arthritis.

Quote from the above study:

During a 28–month follow up, maintenance of NID was found to be safe and beneficial in all patients, with effects ranging from a complete remission to a marked reduction of incidence and severity of gout attacks.

Should Healthy Adults Be “Near–Iron Deficient?”

Reducing our iron stores to “bare sustenance” levels, as was done in these patients, so effectively combated the inflammation associated with gout, that this study represents one of the most convincing pieces of evidence in the scientific literature, indicating that perhaps even “normal” iron levels may be harmful. Even if we don’t suffer from gout, the lesson any health–conscious person should take from this research is that, even at “normal” levels, iron may be a significant catalyst for much of the chronic inflammation found in all degenerative diseases of aging.

For example, the author of the above study noted that iron is likely to play a similar role in other types of arthritis besides gout:

…it was shown that iron removal was also effective in other types of experimental arthritis such as, for example, in rheumatoid and adjuvant [chemical]–induced arthritis, even when iron depletion was achieved by means of iron–poor diets .

And of course, we know that iron doesn’t restrict its damage to our joints. Probably in large part because it causes lipids and “bad” LDL cholesterol to oxidize readily, iron is also associated with atherosclerosis, otherwise known as the plaque build–up, and hardening of the arteries in heart–disease:

Study Link – Body Iron Stores and the Risk of Carotid Atherosclerosis

Quote from the above study:

Serum ferritin [a measure of iron stores] was one of the strongest risk predictors of overall progression of atherosclerosis. . . The present study provided strong epidemiological evidence for a role of iron stores in early atherogenesis and suggests promotion of lipid peroxidation as the main underlying pathomechanism.

And the following study found that, even in people who started off with “normal” iron levels, iron–depletion to near–iron deficiency levels caused major improvements in several cardiovascular risk factors. Under the conditions of near–iron deficiency, good HDL cholesterol was elevated, blood pressure was reduced, LDL cholesterol was reduced, triglycerides were reduced, fibrinogen (a pro–blood clotting factor) was reduced, and glucose and insulin responses to carbohydrates were improved.

Study Link – Effect of Iron Depletion on Cardiovascular Risk Factors.

Quote from the above study:

. . . although individuals at high risk for [cardiovascular disease] are not [iron]–overloaded, they seem to benefit, metabolically and hemodynamically, from lowering of body [iron] to levels commonly seen in premenopausal females.

Along the same lines, the following study, which measured iron stores using the most accurate measurements of body–iron stores currently available (called the serum transferrin receptor/serum ferritin ratio), found that men with high body iron stores are two to three times more likely to suffer a heart attack.

Study Link – Association Between Body Iron Stores and the Risk of Acute Myocardial Infarction in Men.

Quote from the above study:

. . . our present findings suggest that men with high body iron stores (low TfR/ferritin ratio) are at a twofold to threefold increased risk of the first [heart attack], confirming our original observation that was based on serum ferritin measurement alone. In our view, the presently available evidence speaks in favor of a role of increased body iron stores in the development of the first [heart attack] in men.

And diabetes as well, is also known to be very closely tied with iron levels in the body. The fragile insulin producing cells of the pancreas are very susceptible to iron–induced oxidative damage, and a full 53–80% of patients with hemochromatosis have been found to develop diabetes in their lifetimes.

The following study found that, even in amounts not associated with iron overload, iron stores were directly associated with the development of diabetes in healthy people:

Study Link – Relation between iron stores and non–insulin dependent diabetes in men: case–control study.

Quote from the above study:

This is the first study to show an association between stores of iron and the incidence of diabetes. Our data support the theory that increased iron stores, even in the range not considered to be associated with haemochromatosis, contribute to the development of non–insulin dependent diabetes. Additional cohort studies and trials of iron depletion in people with increased stores of iron are warranted.

And in previous newsletters, we’ve touched upon iron’s increasingly accepted role in the development of cancer. The following study showed that even moderate elevations in iron stores are associated with increased risk of cancer occurrence and death:

Study Link – Moderate elevation of body iron level and increased risk of cancer occurrence and death.

Quote from the above study:

There is evidence, in this cohort, of elevated cancer risk in those with moderately elevated iron level. This pattern was seen in women as well as in men.

We haven’t the space here to cover even of a fraction of the extensive research showing how intimately body iron stores are tied to degenerative disease, but the above studies (and hundreds of others like them) present very compelling evidence indicating that achieving iron levels at the low end of what’s currently considered “normal” may be a key factor in ensuring our long–term health.

Women Too?

Pre–menopausal women generally have much lower iron stores than males of the same age, and as we showed you in the February 2008 Integrated Supplements Newsletter, the fact that pre–menopausal women lose blood (and therefore, iron) on a regular basis via menstruation, is now thought to be the major reason why pre–menopausal women possess a relatively low risk of heart disease. But, even though their iron levels are generally lower than that of men, women cannot afford to ignore the responsibility of protecting themselves from the damage inflicted on their bodies by iron.

Though her iron levels may be relatively low, a woman’s estrogen – levels of which are obviously much higher than that of a male – can actually exacerbate, and amplify iron–induced damage. This fact is of particular importance for the approximately 16 million American women currently bearing an increased estrogen–burden via the use of oral contraceptives. The use of estrogen–containing birth control often results in shorter periods, and lighter blood flow – leading ultimately to less iron loss, and to an increased tendency to store iron.

This may be why a women’s protection from heart disease seems to be drastically reduced if they have a history of oral contraceptive use. Groundbreaking studies have shown that women who have taken estrogen–containing birth control have up to a 42 percent increase in the plaque build–up of heart disease for every decade they have been on the pill.

Article Link – Artery Plaque Risk From The Pill? Study Shows Women Using Oral Contraceptives At Increased Risk Of Atherosclerosis

And of great concern from a public–health standpoint, is the fact that estrogen–containing birth control has begun to be advocated as a way for women to manipulate and even prevent menstruation altogether.

Article Link – Agency Approves a Birth Control Pill Halting Periods Indefinitely

If such measures are employed for any significant length of time, the combination of chronic estrogen exposure, without the protective effects of regular iron loss seems certain to dramatically raise women’s risk of iron–stimulated diseases including heart disease, and especially estrogen–sensitive cancers like breast cancer. The synergistic role of iron and estrogen in stimulating cancer development is very well documented:

Study Link – Role of Iron in Estrogen–Induced Cancer

Quote from the above study:

An elevated dietary iron intake enhances the incidence of carcinogen–induced mammary cancer in rats and estrogen–induced kidney tumors in Syrian hamsters. Estrogen administration increases iron accumulation in hamsters and facilitates iron uptake by cells in culture. In humans, elevated body iron storage has been shown to increase the risk of several cancers including breast cancer. A role of iron in hormone–associated cancer in humans offers attractive routes for cancer prevention by regulating metal ion metabolism and interfering with iron accumulation in tissues.

So, women, and especially women taking estrogen–containing contraceptives, will want to keep a close eye on their iron levels. Even if these levels are in the “normal” range, women may want to seriously consider lowering their iron stores to the optimal safe level through regular blood donation.

(Note: Many women who are diagnosed as “iron deficient” may not be. We discussed strategies for improving blood–building without iron in the March 2008 edition of the Integrated Supplements Newsletter. Instead of ingesting iron supplements, those looking to improve blood–building should employ the strategies found therein.)

So, What Iron Levels Should We Shoot For?

In blood testing, one of the relatively common measures of body iron status is called serum ferritin. We showed you a few months ago how the body “hides” chemically–reactive free iron in the storage protein called ferritin as a protective measure, so it’s not surprising that our ferritin levels are a pretty accurate guide of how much iron we’re carrying around in our body. In the absence of confounding variables like infection or major trauma, it’s a safe bet that the higher our ferritin values are, the higher our iron stores are as well.

It’s generally considered that the “normal” ferritin value in males ranges from 30–300 mcg/l. For females the “normal” values are a bit lower, and range from 15–200 mcg/l. In the above–referenced gout study, Dr Facchini was able to achieve remarkable results with his patients by reducing their serum ferritin levels to just below 30 micrograms per liter.

For our purposes of reducing the body’s burden of iron, we’ll want to shoot for a level of serum ferritin towards the lower end of each spectrum for males and females respectively – males should aim for a serum ferritin level of between 30–50 mcg/l, whereas females should aim for a serum ferritin level of between 15–25 mcg/l.

(Note: Serum ferritin is also measured in units of nanograms per milliliter – the units of measurement are different, but the ferritin number will remain the same with either measurement.)

And chances are it won’t take too long to reduce our serum ferritin to these levels with regular blood donation. Each unit of blood given has been estimated to lower ferritin levels by 25 to 100 points, and it’s been observed that the more iron a person has stored, the more their ferritin levels will decrease with each unit of blood donated. When you sign up as a regular blood donor, the blood center you choose will be able to monitor your serum ferritin on an ongoing basis.

Foods To Combat Iron

So, it’s easy to see that regular blood donations will do the lion’s share of the work in protecting us from iron’s wrath by helping to reduce our bodies’ iron stores. But even when we achieve a healthy level of iron in our blood, our battle against iron won’t be quite finished yet.

During digestion, and before it’s absorbed into the bloodstream, free iron from foods can cause a massive amount of oxidative damage to the delicate cells of the gastrointestinal tract. Such iron–catalyzed free radical formation has been linked to a host of intestinal disorders like Crohn’s disease, colitis, irritable bowel, leaky gut, and colon cancer. So, low blood levels of iron may be health–promoting, as we’ve seen, but low blood levels of iron won’t do anything to protect our gut from the iron found in our food.

Last month, we showed you how certain types of soluble fiber, and lactoferrin–rich whey protein isolate are able to protect the delicate cells of the gastrointestinal tract from iron–induced damage. We saw how soluble fiber and whey isolate may be able to make iron metabolism much more efficient by supporting proper blood–building and iron metabolism, even in the absence of dietary iron.

This month we’ll talk about foods which have powerful iron–binding capacity; foods we can use specifically to decrease iron absorption from the iron–rich foods we eat. When taken with an iron–containing meal, these foods have been shown to protect the digestive tract from iron because that they bind iron before it can come in contact with the delicate intestinal cells. These foods block iron absorption to a significant degree, and can be especially helpful for maintaining healthy iron levels between blood donations.

The research even shows that many of these same food components may even be able to safely stimulate the removal ofstored iron from our organs and tissues.

Coffee and Tea

Coffee and tea contain some of the most powerful iron–binding compounds (called polyphenols) found in any foods. When taken with a meal, tea was shown to inhibit iron absorption by up to 64%, and coffee was shown to inhibit iron absorption by up to 39% in the following study:

Study Link – Inhibition of food iron absorption by coffee.

Tea

Tea, especially green tea – the unfermented tea variety containing the highest polyphenol content – has been the subject of intense scientific research in recent years. Of course, long–lived cultures such as the Japanese have been known to consume particularly high amounts of green tea for centuries, and in light of what we now know about the many harmful effects of iron, it’s quite possible that the iron–binding capacity of its polyphenols is largely responsible for many of green tea’s well–known health–enhancing effects.

And quite above and beyond merely blocking iron–absorption from our meals, components of green tea have even been found to safely remove stored iron from the brain where the toxic metal is implicated in degenerative brain disorders like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease.

Study Link – Neurological mechanisms of green tea polyphenols in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Study Link – Green tea catechins as brain–permeable, non toxic iron chelators to “iron out iron” from the brain.

Quote from the above study:

The capacity of free iron to enhance and promote the generation of toxic reactive oxygen radicals has been discussed numerous times. Metal chelation has the potential to prevent iron–induced oxidative stress . . . Thus, natural, non–toxic, brain permeable neuroprotective drugs, are preferentially advocated for “ironing out iron” from those brain areas where it preferentially accumulates in neurodegenerative diseases. This review will discuss the most recent findings from in vivo and in vitro studies concerning the transitional metal (iron and copper) chelating property of green tea and its major polyphenol, (−)–epigallocatechin–3–gallate with respect to their potential for the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Studies have even shown that tea’s ability to bind iron is so strong, that individuals with hemochromatosis (people who normally need to give blood to rid their body of dangerously high levels of iron) don’t need to give blood quite as frequently if they drink tea:

Study Link – Clinical trial on the effect of regular tea drinking on iron accumulation in genetic haemochromatosis.

Quote from the above study:

Regular tea drinking with meals reduces the frequency of phlebotomies required in the management of patients with haemochromatosis.

And if you’re trying to inhibit iron absorption with your evening meal, don’t worry – even chamomile tea (which isn’t technically a “tea” species) has been shown to bind iron too – without the caffeine:

Study Link – Inhibition of non–haem iron absorption in man by polyphenolic–containing beverages.

Coffee

And coffee, although it’s more commonly maligned by the “health–food” crowd than tea, is quickly being recognized in scientific circles as quite a therapeutic beverage in its own right. Coffee’s skeptics and nay–sayers should take note: in many ways, coffee has even been shown to outshine green tea with its own array of unique health–promoting effects. In analyzing the research objectively, we’ll see that it’s high time that coffee shake its lingering stigma as merely an addictive morning “pick–me–up.” For its well–documented iron–binding, and other protective attributes, we’ll see that coffee should, in fact, enjoy a welcome spot in the upper–echelon of health–promoting natural foods.

Coffee drinkers, for example, have been shown to suffer less gout – a finding which, as we have seen, is directly in–line with its iron–binding ability:

Article Link – Coffee–Swilling Men Get Less Gout, Study Shows

And, as we’ve seen as well, high iron levels are known to be a very common occurrence in those with diabetes and blood sugar disorders. It’s been proposed that even those with iron levels on the high side of “normal” can suffer reduced blood sugar control as a result. Not coincidentally, coffee drinkers are known to carry a significantly reduced risk of developing type 2 diabetes:

Study Link – Coffee consumption and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Quote from the above study:

Coffee consumption was associated with a substantially lower risk of clinical type 2 diabetes.

And similarly, in the following study, coffee, but not green tea, was shown to protect against the development of metabolic syndrome – a group of metabolic factors which are seen as a forerunner of diabetes:

Study Link – Habitual coffee but not green tea consumption is inversely associated with metabolic syndrome An epidemiological study in a general Japanese population.

Quote from the above study:

. . . coffee but not green tea consumption was inversely associated with metabolic syndrome.

 The liver is a major storage site for excess iron in the body, and is therefore greatly susceptible to the ravages of iron–induced oxidative damage. Alcohol consumption is known to dramatically increase iron absorption, and this may be part of the reason why alcohol is so notoriously toxic to the liver. Not surprisingly, patients with hemochromatosis and iron overload are well–known to suffer a wide range of liver disorders. Perhaps due in large part to the beverage’s ability to bind iron, the risk of liver cirrhosis and liver cancer are both reduced by coffee consumption:

Study Link – Coffee, Caffeine, and the Risk of Liver Cirrhosis.

Quote from the above study:

These findings support the hypothesis that coffee, but not other beverages containing caffeine, may inhibit the onset of alcoholic and nonalcoholic liver cirrhosis.

Study Link – Coffee Consumption and Risk of Liver Cancer: A Meta–Analysis.

Quote from the above study:

Findings from this meta–analysis suggest that an increased consumption of coffee may reduce the risk of liver cancer.

Study Link – Coffee and Tea Consumption Are Associated With a Lower Incidence of Chronic Liver Disease in the United States.

Coffee consumption has even been shown to protect against cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease in the elderly, two related phenomena associated with iron–accumulation in aging:

Study Link – Coffee consumption is inversely associated with cognitive decline in elderly European men: the FINE Study.

Study Link – Risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: a prospective analysis from the Canadian Study of Health and Aging.

Quote from the above study:

Use of nonsteroidal anti–inflammatory drugs, wine consumption, coffee consumption, and regular physical activity were associated with a reduced risk of Alzheimer's disease.

(Note: Both coffee and tea bind iron, but research indicates that each may possess unique therapeutic value in addition to their iron–binding capacity. Therefore, it probably makes good sense to incorporate both beverages into the diet on a regular basis.)

Chocolate

Similar to the polyphenols found in tea and coffee, many polyphenols in cocoa are also known to inhibit iron absorption. And also like the polyphenols in tea and coffee, the polyphenols found in cocoa are finally beginning to gain the respect of some of the world’s finest medical researchers. We saw in a study posted above, how iron depletion improved several markers of heart disease risk including lowering blood pressure, and increasing “good” HDL cholesterol. And recently, Dutch researchers published a long–term study of elderly men showing that cocoa consumption was associated with decreased blood pressure and reduced risk of death from any cause:

Study Link – Cocoa Intake, Blood Pressure, and Cardiovascular Mortality.

It also turns out that consuming dark chocolate may be one of the few effective ways to increase “good” HDL cholesterol, at the same time reducing harmful lipid peroxidation.

Study Link – Dark Chocolate Consumption Increases HDL Cholesterol Concentration and Chocolate Fatty Acids May Inhibit Lipid Peroxidation in Healthy Humans.

(Note: The above study showed that both white and dark chocolate, both of which contain a relatively high amount of saturated fat from cocoa butter, were able to reduce harmful lipid peroxidation. As we’ve shown in previous newsletters, saturated fats are more resistant to oxidative damage than polyunsaturated fats, and may help to reduce oxidative stress. Despite what most people tend to believe, polyunsaturated fats, because they stimulate oxidative damage to cholesterol, are probably much more strongly associated with the development of heart disease than the more stable saturated fats.)

And researchers have also found that daily cocoa intake is able to make the “bad” LDL cholesterol molecule very resistant to harmful oxidation.

Study Link – Daily cocoa intake reduces the susceptibility of low–density lipoprotein to oxidation as demonstrated in healthy human volunteers.

So, as with tea and coffee, the cardiovascular health–promoting effects of cocoa seem to largely point to a single underlying mechanism, namely, countering the negative effects of iron–induced free radical damage.

(Note: some chocolate actually contains relatively high amounts of iron, but the polyphenols in chocolate are still able to inhibit iron absorption. Look for dark chocolates and non–alkalized cocoa which will contain the highest levels of polyphenols.)

Iron, Oxidative Stress, and Aging

As we’ve seen in this series of articles on The Anti–Aging Diet, the phenomenon known as oxidative stress is a common thread running through all aspects of aging and degenerative disease. And, as we’ve also seen, the task of effectively reducing oxidative stress in our body isn’t quite as simple as popping the latest, greatest “antioxidant” pills as some nutritional supplement companies would like you to believe.

We’ve shown you how any diet geared towards preventing the destructive effects of aging should be designed specifically to avoid, or protect us from the biggest dietary contributors to oxidative stress, including:

• An excess (more than trace amounts) of polyunsaturated fats, which are prone to oxidize readily (especially including the so–called “good fats” from flax, fish, etc.).

• Oxidized Cholesterol (found in powdered cholesterol–containing foods including many protein powders)

• And of course, the pro–oxidant metal, iron (which builds up in the body over a lifetime, and which is added in shockingly high amounts to common foods like breakfast cereals, refined grains, flours, pastas, etc.)

In the previous few months, we’ve shown you how and why to avoid hidden sources of oxidized fats and cholesterol – both of which are even found in products which are marketed as “healthy.”

And in recognizing iron’s integral role in the downward spiral of oxidative stress and aging, we’ve seen how undenatured whey protein isolate and certain types of soluble fiber may also be able to protect us from the harmful pro–oxidant effects of this reactive mineral, even without blocking its absorption.

This month we discovered that lowering our bodies’ burden of highly reactive iron through regular blood donation is one of the most effective oxidative stress–reducing practices we have at our disposal.

And we’ve also found that it’s probably no coincidence that nature’s vast cornucopia of iron–binding foods just happens to include some of the history’s most highly revered medicinal substances. As examples, the therapeutic use of green tea in Asia dates back approximately 5000 years, and the ceremonial and medicinal use of cacao (cocoa) in Aztec and Mayan cultures dates back 2500 years in its own right. And even coffee, although it’s often wrongly maligned and stigmatized by many in the “heath food” crowd, is beginning to be recognized as an incredibly protective and therapeutic beverage as well. When we look at the ability of these foods and beverages to bind iron and prevent its absorption, their wide range of health benefits become easily understandable.

In essence, we’ve been discussing simple, low–cost solutions to the problem of aging – solutions which are as close as your local health food store or blood donation center. But don’t let the simple nature of these strategies fool you – practiced regularly, you’ll find that they’re much more powerfully health–promoting than you may at first suspect. Once you begin to “de–iron” and “de–stress” your body, you may find that many nagging health concerns gradually begin to fade, or simply, that you regain a youthful energy level and a renewed zest for life. You may find that you begin to deal with stress better, or that your body recovers from exercise more efficiently, or that your workout capacity and endurance is improved. All told, when employing these strategies, you may just find that you live your life closer to your full human potential, which is what we at Integrated Supplements are all about.

About Us: At Integrated Supplements, our goal is to bring you the wellness information and products you need to live your life to the fullest. We are dedicated to producing the highest quality, all natural nutritional supplements; and to educating the world on the health promoting power of proper nutrition. You can find out more by visiting: www.IntegratedSupplements.com