Iron deficiency is common. However, it is not advisable to take Iron supplements as a precaution: why too much iron can be dangerous.

The most important things at a glance

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• Iron in the blood: These levels are normal
• Elevated iron levels: These are the causes
• Too much iron: these are the consequences
• What to do if the iron value is too high?
• Conclusion

Iron is an important mineral. It is part of the red blood cells and enables them to carry oxygen to all parts of the body. Iron is also an important component of muscle cells and necessary for the production of numerous enzymes in the body.

Despite the important functions of iron, many people around the world suffer from iron deficiency – especially women. Iron-rich foods and iron supplements are therefore part of a healthy diet for many people. On the other hand, only a few people know that too much iron can also be harmful to health .

Here you can find out what to look out for when taking iron supplements and how an excess of iron becomes noticeable.

Iron in the blood: These levels are normal

Most of the iron in the human body is contained in hemoglobin. Therefore, your iron supply is examined by means of a blood test. Various values ​​are measured and their interaction assessed – including:

• Serum iron : normal range men 60 to 160 / women 40 to 150 micrograms per deciliter
• Ferritin : normal range men 30 to 300 / women 10 to 150 micrograms per liter
• Transferrin : normal range men 1.7 to 3.3 / women 1.6 to 3.5 grams per liter

Transferrin is a protein that transports iron in the blood. It transports the iron absorbed in the intestine or iron that has been released during degradation processes in the body. Ferritin is an iron storage protein – the ferritin in the blood reflects the body’s iron balance.

In order to check your iron balance, these laboratory values ​​should always be measured and assessed together in the blood. Because only the interaction enables a precise diagnosis. If the measured blood values ​​are above the specified normal range, there is by definition an excess of iron – if they are below, an iron deficiency. However, age, gender and differences within the laboratory can influence the measured values. Your iron levels should therefore only be assessed by experts.

Elevated ferritin level

Ferritin is also increased in inflammatory processes. For this reason, inflammation must be taken into account when assessing iron metabolism.

Elevated iron levels: These are the causes

Iron is very important for the human organism. Therefore, the body tries to keep as much of the mineral in the body as possible and recycles much of the iron ingested. On the other hand, only a very small part is excreted – about one to two milligrams per day.

Normally this is not a problem because the body only absorbs as much iron as it needs. In some cases, however, this process is disrupted. The iron value is then too high and one speaks of an excess of iron, also known as iron overload. The most common causes for this are:

• Iron storage disease (hemochromatosis)
• Overdose of iron supplements
• Repeated blood transfusions
• Severe liver damage, such as from alcohol addiction

Elevated iron levels due to iron storage disease

One possible cause of high iron levels is the hereditary iron storage disease, also known as hemochromatosis . It is the most common congenital metabolic disease in Europe. About one in 1,000 people is affected – without even knowing it. The reason: the symptoms of the disease usually only appear in advanced age.

In hemochromatosis, the body absorbs more iron from food than it needs and can dispose of due to a genetic defect. This increases the iron content in the blood and iron is deposited in organs and tissues such as the heart, liver or skin. More information about hemochromatosis can be found here .

Iron excess: Overdose of iron supplements

Everyone has to get iron from food. The good news is that many foods contain small amounts of iron. However, since many people suffer from an iron deficiency , some take iron supplements as a precaution – not least because they are available in abundance in drugstores and pharmacies.

However, this can be dangerous, especially if you unknowingly suffer from impaired liver function or hemochromatosis. This can quickly lead to an overdose of iron. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) therefore recommends taking iron dietary supplements only after consulting a doctor.

iron requirement

Premenopausal women should consume around 15 milligrams of iron daily – men and women after menopause around 10 milligrams. Pregnant women are recommended to consume at least 30 milligrams of iron per day in order to provide the unborn child with sufficient nutrients.

Too much iron: these are the consequences

Even without a previous illness, an overdose of iron can occur – for example, if you use too high a dose of preparations from the Internet or have accidentally taken too much. Ingested once or over a short period of time, too much iron can temporarily cause vomiting, diarrhea, and black stools .

On the other hand, if you have taken too much iron over a long period of time, it can become dangerous in the long term. Because regardless of whether it is due to a long-term overdose, iron storage disease or alcohol addiction – the excess iron is deposited in the cells of various organs and tissues and damages them. Affected are:

• heart and cardiac muscles
• liver
• joints
• skin
• pancreas
• pituitary gland
• thyroid
• gonads (testes and ovaries)

The consequences are tissue damage and poisoning, which – depending on the organs affected – can manifest themselves in very different symptoms.

There are many symptoms of a long-term excess of iron

The problem with excess iron: the symptoms only appear gradually and are often non-specific. The first signs are exhaustion and weakness. Iron overload is therefore often only noticed when the accumulation of the mineral in the tissues is already very high.

The most common consequence is liver disease. But the following problems can also occur:

• stomach pain
• Bronze colored skin (bronze diabetes)
• Joint pains, especially in the hands
• Underactive thyroid ( hypothyroidism )
• prediabetes or diabetes
• Increased risk of liver or pancreatic cancer
• infertility
• Heart failure or heart failure (uncommon)

The signs can also differ in men and women. Specific symptoms often affect the liver and pancreas in men. Warning signs are therefore often a yellowish discolored skin (jaundice), light, foul-smelling stool (fatty stool) or signs of diabetes (such as increased thirst and frequent urination). Iron deposits in the testicles can also lead to erectile dysfunction .

Women, on the other hand, suffer more from vague symptoms that affect the whole body, such as fatigue and joint pain .

What to do if the iron value is too high?

If these symptoms occur and you suspect iron excess, you should have your family doctor examine you. Then, as a rule, a close-meshed laboratory control is carried out in which your iron levels (serum iron, ferritin, transferritin) are checked. Genetic testing and sometimes a liver biopsy are also done to rule out hereditary iron storage disease.

If congenital hemochromatosis is present, regular blood collection (bloodletting) is generally the best treatment. It protects against further organ damage – but cannot reverse existing damage. These must then be treated separately.

If the iron overload is due to an overdose of dietary supplements or repeated blood transfusions, treatment usually consists of something called iron chelation therapy. The drugs used bind excess iron and thus reduce the iron level. In this way, the therapy prevents or delays the organ damage.

Conclusion

Iron is an important mineral and essential for your health. However, too much iron in the blood damages various organs and can therefore also be dangerous. A hereditary iron metabolism disorder and overdose with dietary supplements are the most common causes of excess iron. To counteract the risk of excess iron, you should therefore only take iron supplements after consulting a doctor.

Source:uslifestyler

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