Iron Overload: How Too Much Puts You at Risk for Disaster

08/21/20 • 26 min

When it comes to iron most of us are familiar with anemia, the lack of iron in the blood. With the onslaught of processed and fortified foods found in our grocery stores today and the growing popularity of supplementation, it’s quite possible that you or somebody you know may be exceeding the recommended daily allowance and building up excess iron in the blood.

Iron is generally recognized as a beneficial nutrient, but just like most everything else in the world having too much makes it take a dark turn. Excess iron levels have been linked to everything from an increased risk of heart disease to Alzheimer’s disease, so it’s important to read labels and pay attention to how much iron we may be ingesting.

On this week’s episode we break down the ways you might be getting too much iron, the many risk factors involved with iron overload, the specific blood tests to test for excess iron, and what to do if you find you have too much.

Some Points We Discuss:

What is iron and what does it do in the body? (3:04)
The seven causes of iron overload. (4:04)
The recommended daily allowance of iron. (6:30)
What is happening inside your body if you have too much iron? (9:48)
What can you do if you are concerned about increased levels of iron? (12:56)
What are optimal ferritin levels? (14:07)
Comparing the types of iron tests available. (14:57)
How can you lower your iron levels? (16:25)
What do pregnant women need to do about iron? (21:52)
Tips for those that are anemic. (23:07)

Some Key takeaways From This Episode:

Know ways in which you are getting iron in your diet on a daily basis. (4:04)
Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron from red meat 2-4 times. If you are anemic, take vitamin c with red meat. If you are not anemic, take your vitamin c away from red meat (8:22)
Iron overload creates free radicals. Free radicals damage your cells which leads to mitochondria damage leading to disease. (10:05)
Get your ferritin levels checked! (13:15)
You can lower your iron levels by looking at your lifestyle and diet, donating blood, lower your carbohydrate intake, analyze your red meat consumption, consider some supplements, and visit the sauna. (16:25)

Products + Resources:

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Brian Strickland: If you're looking for a trusted source of natural supplements, look no further than nutritionw.com. Since 1979 Nutrition World has been a staple in the Chattanooga community with dedicated research specialists that stay ahead of the trends to make sure you have the most reliable products available at the most competitive prices. All of their supplements are vetted for quality, effectivity and potency, and shipped using the utmost care with cold packs included in each and every order. You can shop online now at nutritionw.com and choose from thousands of your favorite supplements, sports nutrition, pet, and specialty food products today. Nutrition World -- partners on your wellness journey.

Brian Strickland: Hello listeners and welcome back to the Holistic Navigator Podcast where we talk about all things holistic health and believe in the body's capacity for self healing if given the proper nutrients and care. For any new listeners we may have out there, we wanted to take a moment and say welcome. We're really excited that you found the show [00:01:00] . My name is Brian Strickland. I'm producer and I'm joined in the studio as always by our host Ed Jones. On today's episode, we're taking a look at iron and specifically how excess levels of iron may affect your health. While a good portion of the population is concerned about anemia in a lack of iron. We believe that excess levels may be more common than you think so settle in and let's go ahead and get the show started. Here's your host, Mr. Ed Jones.

Ed Jones: Thank you so much. Brian, as always, you just do such a fantastic job of organizing and making this Hol...

Some Points We Discuss:

What is iron and what does it do in the body? (3:04)
The seven causes of iron overload. (4:04)
The recommended daily allowance of iron. (6:30)
What is happening inside your body if you have too much iron? (9:48)
What can you do if you are concerned about increased levels of iron? (12:56)
What are optimal ferritin levels? (14:07)
Comparing the types of iron tests available. (14:57)
How can you lower your iron levels? (16:25)
What do pregnant women need to do about iron? (21:52)
Tips for those that are anemic. (23:07)

Some Key takeaways From This Episode:

Know ways in which you are getting iron in your diet on a daily basis. (4:04)
Vitamin C increases the absorption of iron from red meat 2-4 times. If you are anemic, take vitamin c with red meat. If you are not anemic, take your vitamin c away from red meat (8:22)
Iron overload creates free radicals. Free radicals damage your cells which leads to mitochondria damage leading to disease. (10:05)
Get your ferritin levels checked! (13:15)
You can lower your iron levels by looking at your lifestyle and diet, donating blood, lower your carbohydrate intake, analyze your red meat consumption, consider some supplements, and visit the sauna. (16:25)

Products + Resources:

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Ed Jones: Thank you so much. Brian, as always, you just do such a fantastic job of organizing and making this Hol...

Previous Episode

Weight Loss and Muscle Gain Starts Outside of the Gym with IFBB Pro Matt Davis

Whether you’re planning a beach vacation and want to be confident in that new bathing suit, prepping for a body building competition, or you just want to accomplish your health goals, hitting the gym is what most people think is needed to build your best physique. The truth is much of the work is done outside of the gym and in your own home at the dinner table and your bed. Even if we train daily and exercise until we drop, if we don’t pay attention to what we’re eating, how much we sleep, AND what we do in the gym, few of us will actually meet the goals we set for ourselves.

Meet Matt:

On this week’s episode we have IFBB Pro Matt Davis to set the record straight. Matt’s huge, like crazy huge. But beyond that he’s an incredible nice guy with a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience that can help everyone reach whatever goals they may have for their own physique. Matt’s slightly unique in the fact that he adheres to a fastidiously clean diet and supplement regimen. The world of “sports nutrition” supplements gets a little sketchy at times, but Matt is proof that a simple diet, clean supplements and a lot of know how can give you the best physique you’ve ever had.

Some Questions We Discuss:

How can we prepare for an event to have the best looking physique we can? (3:15)
What do we tell people that have a goal in mind that will help them reach their goal? (7:07)
What are the four concepts needed for someone to build themselves to the physique they desire? (9:22)
What is the ideal nutrition plan to follow? (19:09)
You have to have adequate essential fats. Where do you get those from? (23:31)
What are your thoughts on sports nutrition supplements? (26:15)
How much protein per pound of body weight do you take? (27:21)
How do you choose the highest quality food? (29:15)
What are the foods you avoid? (30:34)
What do people need to think about when they are training? (34:20)

Some key takeaways from this episode:

Forget everything you thought you knew and be open to learning new things. (7:28)
People get lost in their macros and don’t realize that they could be doing more harm than good in the name of following their metrics. (8:08)
Slowing down your breathing and breathing properly is one of the most important things you can do. (10:35)
It’s not a question of how many times you hit the gym or what your diet is. Those things don’t matter much if you’re not sleeping well. (16:21)
Everyone’s nutrition is going to be different. Typically a lower carbohydrate approach is preferred. (19:26)
You will not have low body fat without also having low insulin levels. (21:45)
Decide what your goals are so that you know how much protein you should eat each day. (27:30)
The quality of your food is the most important component of your diet You are what your foods eat. (29:00)
If muscle building is your goal, ask yourself what you are training for performance vs actual muscle building. Target your training towards those goals. Be willing to try new exercises, switch up your reps and weight. (34:41)
The gym is your toolbox. Look at every exercise as your tool. You don’t have to bench press. You don’t have to squat. You can use so many exercises to build your physique. Learn what exercises are good for the goals you want to achieve. (38:00)

Products + Resources:

Get Social with Matt:

Instagram: @matt_davis_ifbb_pro
Facebook: @train.station.33

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Brian Strickland: [00:00:00] If you're looking for a trusted source of natural supplements, look no further than nutritionw.com. Since 1979, Nutrition World has been a staple in the Chatt...

Next Episode

The Urgency of Regenerative Farming with Jennifer Maynard of Nutrition for Longevity

It’s obvious that our food sourcing and farming techniques are in need of a major overhaul. The ramifications of practices like monocropping and subsidizing widely used crops not only affects the land we’re taxed to care for, but also has a large impact on our overall health. When we practice biodiversity in our farming techniques the result is healthy soil. When we practice biodiversity in our eating habits, the result is a healthier body. The nutrients our bodies need to function properly should come from a diverse and plant-forward diet, but few Americans even consider this an option. It requires time, preparation, and perhaps for us to slow down just a little in this fast paced life.

Meet Jennifer:

On this week’s episode Jennifer Maynard helps us understand more about why all of this is so important. Jennifer co-founded Nutrition for Longevity, a company that delivers ready-to-eat, mostly plant based (there are some pescatarian options) meals straight to your door. Their food is sourced from their farm which uses sustainable farming techniques including seeds with traceable origins, organic processes from start to finish, rotating crops to ensure the best quality soil, which produces better tasting and more nutrient dense produce for you to enjoy. Jennifer walks us through why regenerative farming is so vital to to the future health of our land, how eating superior produce can help you live longer and be healthier, and how Nutrition for Longevity makes this process easier than ever.

Some Questions We Discuss:

What is regenerative farming? (4:35)
Are there any big companies embracing regenerative farming or is it just local farmers? (15:30)
Is there a label on regenerative foods? (17:42)
What does Nutrition For Longevity offer to consumers? (21:06)
What does pescatarian mean? (24:17)

Some key takeaways from this episode:

When we look at soil, there should be more microbes in a teaspoon of soil than humans on earth. Regenerative farming focuses on rebuilding these microorganisms. (6:59)
According to the United Nations, agriculture has the lowest cost in the most effective way we can start reversing climate change. (8:37)
Produce grown regeneratively can have 30% more phytonutrients than conventionally grown produce. (8:50)
What a lot of people also don't realize in the US is that we spend the least per capita in the U.S. than any country in the entire world on food and we spend the most on health care. (15:50)
A plant forward diet is the most common diet in the longevity regions of the world. (23:09)

Products + Resources:

Get Social with Jennifer:

Instagram @nutritionforlongevity
Facebook @nflongevity
Website: https://nutritionforlongevity.com

CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

Brian Strickland: [00:00:08] Hey everyone, and welcome back to The Holistic Navigator Podcast where we believe in the body's capacity for self healing if it's given the proper nutrients and care it deserves. My name is Brian Strickland. I'm the producer of the show and here with me in the studio as always is your host Ed Jones. On this week's episode, we're talking with Jennifer Maynard from Nutrition For Longevity. Nutrition For Longevity provides ready-made meals that are delivered straight to your door and feature some of the cleanest produce grown from the highest quality seeds that can be traced all the way back to their source. Jennifer gives us the rundown on what restorative farming actually looks like and how it benefits not only the land and the food that it produces but the incredible impact that consuming these high quality foods has on our health as well. So sit back, relax, and let's go ahead and get into this episode all about farming and consuming the best quality foods. Here's your host, Mr. Ed Jones.

Ed Jones: Thank you Brian so much for the introduction. And here we are again with The Holistic Navigator. I am Ed Jones and [00:01:08] we have another very exciting educational episode one of which is slightly different than most of the things that I discuss. I really kind of call myself a connoisseur of natural health. I've been doing, and studying, and living the life professionally for 42 years this January and I have seen the power of healing with foods and nutrition to a poin...