The dangers of taking multivitamins or vitamins with iron have been suspected for a long time. One person who did some research on it started realizing that women were storing iron in their system and it was harming them. He said, on the topic of menopause: "The accepted explanation was estrogen, but that didn't seem adequate lain the discrepancy. The other major gender difference I noticed was in the levels of stored iron. Post-menopausal women have heart attacks at the same rate as men.”
Excess dietary iron can also increase the risk of bacterial infection. Studies in South East Asia and in Africa reveal that even low doses of iron supplements can be harmful if one is not iron deficient. When iron supplements were given to the Somali and Masai people, their rates of infection increased - even though their iron deficiency was corrected.
Iron, in the form of pills, interferes with zinc absorption and actually aggravates a zinc deficiency. A high phosphorus diet, poor digestion, ulcers, excessive use of antacids, and the consumption of coffee and tea can also cause iron deficiencies. Drinking a glass of orange juice with a meal or eating a fruit that is high in vitamin C - such as kiwis, citrus or berries - can increase absorption.
The most common iron pills contain 60 - 300mg of iron, even though the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1.7 - 7.8mg for infants, 6.1 - 8.7mg for children, and 8.7 - 11.3mg for men. In the U.S., the main sources of dietary iron are: grains, meat, poultry and fish. American foods are also routinely fortified with iron; but depending ones' level of deficiency, only 15 - 45% of the iron is utilized.
Extra iron is initially stored in the liver, with excess amounts being stored in the pancreas, lungs, spleen and heart. These excess amounts build up and destroy the tissues of the storage organs. In fact, iron supplements are the most common cause of pediatric poisoning in the U.S., despite the fact that they are usually meant for consumption by adults. Ingestion of 10 - 50 iron tablets (ferrous sulfate) within a few hours can cause poisoning.
About 1 in 300 Americans of European origin have hemochromatosis - a genetic abnormality of excessive iron stores. A normal man will absorb 1mg of iron daily. But in cases of hemochromatosis, the absorption level is 3mg and causes damage to the storage organs. This excessive absorption can lead to anorexia, diarrhea, hypothermia, metabolic acidosis and vascular congestion of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, heart, brain, spleen, adrenal glands and thymus.
It can also lead to impotence in men and amenorrhea (abnormal suppression or absence of menses) in young women. Doctors recommend that in order to ensure optimum absorption and minimal storage of iron, one should include foods containing copper, folic acid, phosphorus and vitamin C.
Women with chronic candida or herpes are susceptible to iron deficiencies and those who have cancer or rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty assimilating it. People with sickle cell anemia, thalassemia or hemochromatosis should not take iron and it should be used carefully during pregnancy.
One should also avoid synthetic iron (ferrous sulfate) and use only organic iron. A lack of vitamin B-6 or B-12 can also cause iron deficiencies. Comprehensive lab tests should be performed before taking any supplements and any ingestion of iron should be done under the supervision of a doctor.
Taking multiple vitamins can actually deplete the body of nutrients. Taking a pre-packaged multi-vitamin, no matter how high quality, is the same as eating foods that were made for someone else's type, or following a "universal diet." Each person's nutrient needs are personal and chances are that one multi-vitamin will not fit everyone's needs. When this occurs, rather than help a person, the vitamin throws the body off balance. Furthermore, vitamins should be varied with need and not taken "forever." Companies selling these vitamins say there is no harm in taking a "multi" as "insurance." But, every mineral and vitamin a person consumes needs another mineral or vitamin to be assimilated into the body. So if a person takes an excess of one or two nutrients they do not need, they are at the same time depleting their body of nutrients it may need! Many vitamins and minerals need sodium and potassium to assimilate into the body. So by taking a multi-vitamin, you could actually deplete your potassium and sodium sources, which you need during pregnancy.
Excess dietary iron can also increase the risk of bacterial infection. Studies in South East Asia and in Africa reveal that even low doses of iron supplements can be harmful if one is not iron deficient. When iron supplements were given to the Somali and Masai people, their rates of infection increased - even though their iron deficiency was corrected.
Iron, in the form of pills, interferes with zinc absorption and actually aggravates a zinc deficiency. A high phosphorus diet, poor digestion, ulcers, excessive use of antacids, and the consumption of coffee and tea can also cause iron deficiencies. Drinking a glass of orange juice with a meal or eating a fruit that is high in vitamin C - such as kiwis, citrus or berries - can increase absorption.
The most common iron pills contain 60 - 300mg of iron, even though the recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1.7 - 7.8mg for infants, 6.1 - 8.7mg for children, and 8.7 - 11.3mg for men. In the U.S., the main sources of dietary iron are: grains, meat, poultry and fish. American foods are also routinely fortified with iron; but depending ones' level of deficiency, only 15 - 45% of the iron is utilized.
Extra iron is initially stored in the liver, with excess amounts being stored in the pancreas, lungs, spleen and heart. These excess amounts build up and destroy the tissues of the storage organs. In fact, iron supplements are the most common cause of pediatric poisoning in the U.S., despite the fact that they are usually meant for consumption by adults. Ingestion of 10 - 50 iron tablets (ferrous sulfate) within a few hours can cause poisoning.
About 1 in 300 Americans of European origin have hemochromatosis - a genetic abnormality of excessive iron stores. A normal man will absorb 1mg of iron daily. But in cases of hemochromatosis, the absorption level is 3mg and causes damage to the storage organs. This excessive absorption can lead to anorexia, diarrhea, hypothermia, metabolic acidosis and vascular congestion of the gastrointestinal tract, liver, kidneys, heart, brain, spleen, adrenal glands and thymus.
It can also lead to impotence in men and amenorrhea (abnormal suppression or absence of menses) in young women. Doctors recommend that in order to ensure optimum absorption and minimal storage of iron, one should include foods containing copper, folic acid, phosphorus and vitamin C.
Women with chronic candida or herpes are susceptible to iron deficiencies and those who have cancer or rheumatoid arthritis have difficulty assimilating it. People with sickle cell anemia, thalassemia or hemochromatosis should not take iron and it should be used carefully during pregnancy.
One should also avoid synthetic iron (ferrous sulfate) and use only organic iron. A lack of vitamin B-6 or B-12 can also cause iron deficiencies. Comprehensive lab tests should be performed before taking any supplements and any ingestion of iron should be done under the supervision of a doctor.
Taking multiple vitamins can actually deplete the body of nutrients. Taking a pre-packaged multi-vitamin, no matter how high quality, is the same as eating foods that were made for someone else's type, or following a "universal diet." Each person's nutrient needs are personal and chances are that one multi-vitamin will not fit everyone's needs. When this occurs, rather than help a person, the vitamin throws the body off balance. Furthermore, vitamins should be varied with need and not taken "forever." Companies selling these vitamins say there is no harm in taking a "multi" as "insurance." But, every mineral and vitamin a person consumes needs another mineral or vitamin to be assimilated into the body. So if a person takes an excess of one or two nutrients they do not need, they are at the same time depleting their body of nutrients it may need! Many vitamins and minerals need sodium and potassium to assimilate into the body. So by taking a multi-vitamin, you could actually deplete your potassium and sodium sources, which you need during pregnancy.
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