MAG-pie and MAG-net Alert!…
Iron Toxicity Post #42: K.I.S.S.
One of our clients, and uber-talented MAG-pies, Twila J Starkey, and I were chatting the other day about the many, many, many Posts on this Iron-ic subject. Her scintillating observation: “There’s just too much there!… ”
And I agree…
This Post is intended to Keep It Simple, Searchers…
The Pic on the Top presents a compelling and straight-forward diagram of what Excess, Unbound Iron does INSIDE our body, our organs, our tissue, and ultimately, our cells… Iron, when NOT properly bound by transport or regulatory proteins, is PRO-OXIDANT, and thus, very TOXIC to our health…
Yes, I’ve said that before… 😉
The Pic on the Bottom is intended to show just how ridiculously complex the process of Oxidative Stress can be. It comes from this UBER penetrating article:
http://webmail.stuba.sk/~marian.valko/PDF/Int-J-Biochem-Cell-Biol_2007.pdf
Valko, et al have gone out of their way to shed important light on the Yin/Yang of Oxidative Stress: Can’t live with it/Can’t live without it…
Some important questions for your to consider:
o Do you HONESTLY think your favorite M.ineral D.enialist REALLY understands the chart on the Bottom?… (I barely do, & I’ve been studying this INTENSELY for 3+ yrs…)
o Do you HONESTLY think that they understand how HIGH-dose Iron Supplements, or worse yet, Iron Infusions might bring those TWO diagrams to LIFE, esp. the one on the Bottom?…
o Do you HONESTLY think that measuring a single, controversial & metabolically INACTIVE protein, Ferritin, is a PROPER, RELEVANT, APPROPRIATE or COMPLETE measure to assess the complexity of Iron metabolism?…
What I would offer up as a KEY companion article to Valko, 2007, is an important study that I’ve shared — repeatedly — by Sir Douglas B. Kell, PhD entitled “Iron Behaving Badly”
http://bmcmedgenomics.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1755-8794-2-2 
(How many have ACTUALLY taken the time to read this KEY article?!?…)
(NOTE: The difference between these two compelling studies is that Valko, et al keep the illusion alive that “Oxidative Stress” can come from MANY, MANY “metal-bolic” sources… Professor Kell puts the spotlights SQUARELY where it belongs: ROGUE IRON found in the Ferritin molecule. There is NO pretense in his tour de force. Please know that there is 60X more Iron than Copper in the human body [Gutteridge & Halliwell, 1994].)
And at the risk of overwhelm, another uber-bright MAG-pie, Jim Urban, shared this pithy and penetrating piece on the toxicity of Iron:
http://clinchem.aaccjnls.org/content/clinchem/60/11/1362.full.pdf
If you REALLY want to explore these Iron-ic issues & dynamics, here is the FULL Monty Iron blood test that I routinely recommend to accompany the HTMA:
o (US) http://requestatest.com/mag-zinc-copper-panel-with-iron-panel-testing
o (UK) http://www.bloodtestsdirect.co.uk/index.php?route=product%2Fproduct&product_id=337
The key is then getting it PROPERLY interpreted by someone who KNOWS the difference between:
o “Anemia of Chronic Inflammation” (quite common, and caused by a state of excess Iron that is in “hiding”…)
AND
o “Anemia of Iron Deficiency” (next to impossible on a Planet that has 36% of its composition made up of Iron…)
AND FULLY understanding what “Anemia of FUNCTIONAL Iron” is ALL about!…
So, hopefully, this version of blah-blah-blah will clarify what’s REALLY going on.
Your understanding of “Iron status,” if it’s based on ONE marker — Ferritin — is a VERY risky premise. I just hope that MORE and MORE folks awaken to this VITAL & LIFE-ENHANCING message…
A votre sante!
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