Can too much Iron be bad?

Young Blood

I bought an iron supplement recently. Its floravital and I take 20ml once a day. I read somewhere that if you run quite frequently you should increase your intake of iron. I was thinking of doubling it to 40 ml a day but Im not sure if this is good or bad.

salamanca22

Young Blood wrote: »

I bought an iron supplement recently. Its floravital and I take 20ml once a day. I read somewhere that if you run quite frequently you should increase your intake of iron. I was thinking of doubling it to 40 ml a day but Im not sure if this is good or bad.

Only your doctor can tell you how much Iron you should be taking in your diet.

Having an excess of Iron can lead to hemochromatosis in the mid to later years of your life. If you are a runner this is especially problematic as it leads to joint issues.

Savvy student

salamanca22 wrote:

Having an excess of Iron can lead to hemochromatosis in the mid to later years of your life.

Haemochromatosis is a genetic disease where the body has extremely high levels of iron in the blood and liver. It can often lead to liver disorders.

High iron levels can be bad for you but you cannot develop haemochromatosis unless it runs in your family.

High iron levels can have negative effects on the body. I advise you speak to your doctor.

Level 5 Vegan

Yeah I'd probably just keep eating more iron rich plant foods and get your bloods checked every now and again if you're worried about it OP, as the body can regulate non-heme iron better than it can regulate it from a supplement. Supplementing large doses of iron over a long period of time could well possibly elevate your iron levels and cause problems over time.

salamanca22

Savvy student wrote: »

Haemochromatosis is a genetic disease where the body has extremely high levels of iron in the blood and liver. It can often lead to liver disorders.

High iron levels can be bad for you but you cannot develop haemochromatosis unless it runs in your family.

High iron levels can have negative effects on the body. I advise you speak to your doctor.

Hemochromatosis can most certainly be acquired during your life from your diet. While the most common cause of hemochromatosis is genetics that is only one type of hemochromatosis(Well actually several types, like diabetes it has different classifications, type 1 2a, 2b, 3 etc).

When hemochromatosis is caused by diet it is mostly called Iron Overload but it is a form of hemochromatosis.

As for the genetics, Irish people have a 10% chance or there about of carrying the defective gene.

Mentalmiss

Eat your greens and if you can add some nettles to a juice or smoothie they are great for iron,

Tar.Aldarion

Yes too much can be bad for you, check your levels via blood test.

Young Blood

Mentalmiss wrote: »

Eat your greens and if you can add some nettles to a juice or smoothie they are great for iron,

Wild nettles?

Mentalmiss

Young Blood wrote: »

Wild nettles?

Yes. Wild nettles (but pick them where the dogs do not pee. They are especially good in May. I pick them then and dry them.

human 19

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70

"You may be surprised to see no animal foods listed among our excellent or very good sources of iron. There are two related reasons for this result.
First, as we discussed above, it is a common misconception that plant foods are not rich sources of iron. In fact, many plant foods contain more than 10% of a daily iron requirement per serving. Some—lentils and spinach, for example—contain as much as one third of the daily requirement. "

Mentalmiss

human 19 wrote: »

http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=70

" In fact, many plant foods contain more than 10% of a daily iron requirement per serving. Some—lentils and spinach, for example—contain as much as one third of the daily requirement. "

My understanding is that spinach should not be relied on for iron as the oxalic acid content is high and it binds with the iron and prevents you absorbing it.

Young Blood

Mentalmiss wrote: »

Yes. Wild nettles (but pick them where the dogs do not pee. They are especially good in May. I pick them then and dry them.

Can I have them raw in a smoothie with fruit?

Mentalmiss

Young Blood wrote: »

Can I have them raw in a smoothie with fruit?

There is no better way to have them.