Iron Supplements May Increase Your Risk Of Type 2 Diabetes

Any good alternative health practitioner or mainstream doctor will tell you that unless you’ve been diagnosed with iron-deficiency or anaemia, it’s best not to take supplements that contain high doses of iron.

Numerous studies dating back over decades have linked excess iron in the blood to cancer, heart disease and infections. And now new research, published in the journal Diabetes Care, links excess iron with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Pumping too much iron

In this latest study, researchers followed more than 25,000 participants whose ferratin and transferrin levels they tested. Ferratin and transferrin are two indicators of iron levels in the body.

The body makes ferritin to bind free iron and in return transferrin transports iron to where it is needed. So higher levels of these iron-binding proteins is an indication that all the iron isn’t binding to haemoglobin in the blood where it belongs. Instead, excess iron is floating around the body — which is the real problem.

After their analysis, the researchers found that higher ferritin and transferrin levels showed a higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes — the higher the excess iron indicators, the higher the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

However, the researchers concluded that “it’s complicated” and that further research is necessary to determine the exact impact of their findings.

It’s true that iron metabolism is complicated and it all comes down to the fact that iron is a heavy metal — like cadmium, mercury and lead. And it’s ONLY safe when located inside haemoglobin inside red blood cells. When running loose around the body and not bound in the blood, it becomes toxic.

When it comes to iron, the bottom line is: When you have too much iron in the body and it is not bound to haemoglobin in the red blood cells, where it belongs, it can lead to the formation of molecular ions, or “free radicals,” which cause oxidation and DNA damage, as well as other damage to cells.

Your body needs about four grams of iron that you can get from your diet by consuming foods like dark green leafy vegetables, red meat, red kidney beans and chickpeas.

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Disclaimer: Bear in mind the material contained in this article is provided for information purposes only. We are not addressing anyone’s personal situation. Please consult with your own physician before acting on any recommendations contained herein.

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