Dietary and prophylactic iron supplements : Helpful or harmful?
- PMID: 24222023
- DOI: 10.1007/BF02692146
Dietary and prophylactic iron supplements : Helpful or harmful?
Abstract
Mild hypoferremia represents an aspect of the ability of the body to withhold iron from pathogenic bacteria, fungi, and protozoa, and from neoplastic cells. However, our iron-withholding defense system can be thwarted by practices that enhance iron overload such as indiscriminate iron fortification of foods, medically prescribed iron supplements, alcohol ingestion, and cigarette smoking. Elevated standards for normal levels of iron can be misleading and even dangerous for individuals faced with medical insults such as chronic infection, neoplasia, cardiomyopathy, and arthritis. We are becoming increasingly aware that the wide-spread hypoferremia in human populations is a physiological response to insult rather than a pathological cause of insult, and that attempts to correct the condition by simply raising iron levels may not only be misguided but may actually impair host defense.
Similar articles
-
Iron, infection, and neoplasia.Clin Physiol Biochem. 1986;4(1):50-60. Clin Physiol Biochem. 1986. PMID: 3514055 Review.
-
Iron metabolism during infection and neoplasia.Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1987;6(1):41-53. doi: 10.1007/BF00047608. Cancer Metastasis Rev. 1987. PMID: 3297371 Review.
-
Iron: mammalian defense systems, mechanisms of disease, and chelation therapy approaches.Blood Rev. 1995 Mar;9(1):33-45. doi: 10.1016/0268-960x(95)90038-1. Blood Rev. 1995. PMID: 7795423 Review.
-
Hepcidin-induced hypoferremia is a critical host defense mechanism against the siderophilic bacterium Vibrio vulnificus.Cell Host Microbe. 2015 Jan 14;17(1):47-57. doi: 10.1016/j.chom.2014.12.001. Cell Host Microbe. 2015. PMID: 25590758 Free PMC article.
-
Iron and neoplasia.Biol Trace Elem Res. 1981 Mar;3(1):55-80. doi: 10.1007/BF02789123. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1981. PMID: 24271561
Cited by
-
Introduction: What to Eat When You Can't Eat.Glob Adv Health Med. 2014 Nov;3(6):56-72. doi: 10.7453/gahmj.2014.063. Glob Adv Health Med. 2014. PMID: 25568833 Free PMC article. No abstract available.
-
Roles of iron in neoplasia. Promotion, prevention, and therapy.Biol Trace Elem Res. 1992 Aug;34(2):123-40. doi: 10.1007/BF02785242. Biol Trace Elem Res. 1992. PMID: 1381934 Review.
References
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources