Guest guest Posted June 15, 2001 Report Share Posted June 15, 2001 In a message dated 6/15/01 6:45:49 PM Eastern Daylight Time, writes: << Message: 18 Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2001 20:20:50 -0000 From: StarDantzer@... Subject: Iron Levels I just got my reults from my bone marrow iopsy and thankfully there are no malignancies. They did find though that I have almost no iron levels in my bone marrow and want me to go on a prescription iron supplement. i wonder why I would have this deficiency though. Maybe the Doxy is causing it? I am concerned about taking iron as I have so many infections and doesn't iron 'feed' them? Anyone else have this prroblem? a >> a How about a nice liver pate on a bed of spinach? My dad used to make me sauted chicken livers, too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 15, 2001 Report Share Posted June 15, 2001 In a message dated 6/15/01 8:34:53 PM Eastern Daylight Time, clements@... writes: > a, > > Do you know what the iron level in the serum was? I am curious if > the iron in your blood was low too. Or, if a person can show normal > blood levels and still be low in the marrow. > > Do you have acid reflux, and taking antacid meds? > > > All the best, > Jim > clements@... > HI Jim, My blood levels were normal . I am awaiting the actual papers to be sent to me so that I can read them for myself. I did take alot of antacid meds the week prior to the biopsy due to a pill burn from doxy in my esophagus. Why would this be relevant to my bone marrow though? a _________________________________________________________________ " Do me a favor, doc, tell me something good. " - Blair - ~~ The Exorcist ~~ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 a, Do you know what the iron level in the serum was? I am curious if the iron in your blood was low too. Or, if a person can show normal blood levels and still be low in the marrow. Do you have acid reflux, and taking antacid meds? All the best, Jim clements@... > I just got my reults from my bone marrow iopsy and thankfully there > are no malignancies. They did find though that I have almost no iron > levels in my bone marrow and want me to go on a prescription iron > supplement. i wonder why I would have this deficiency though. Maybe > the Doxy is causing it? I am concerned about taking iron as I have so > many infections and doesn't iron 'feed' them? Anyone else have this > prroblem? a Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 Hi! a I'm a raisin fan for iron. I just eat a handful when I feel like a snack. Also went back to eating liver once a week, just in case. Also, occasionally have chicken livers with green peppers. I know they recommend not eating foods with 'iron' if you are a cancer patient and lots of vitamin manufacturers no longer put iron in they multi-vits/minerals. Merle foxhillers@... wrote: > are no malignancies. They did find though that I have almost no iron > levels in my bone marrow and want me to go on a prescription iron > supplement. i wonder why I would have this deficiency though. Maybe > the Doxy is causing it? I am concerned about taking iron as I have so > many infections and doesn't iron 'feed' them? Anyone else have this > prroblem? a > >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2001 Report Share Posted June 16, 2001 Dear a, I was diagnosed as having low ferretin levels and normal blood iron, probably from monthly blood loss (heavy periods). My doctor has put me on supplements (150mg iron a day) and iron rich foods. Red Meat, liver, dried apricots, raisins, blackstrap molasses, cooking in iron pots (especially tomato based sauces) etc. The ferritin is going up very very very slowly, almost a joke, but the doctor said to try a different form of supplement and keep going. This seems to be common among women, CFS patients especially. Judy Re: Iron Levels > Hi! a > > I'm a raisin fan for iron. I just eat a handful when I feel like a snack. Also went back to eating liver once a week, just in case. Also, occasionally have chicken livers with green peppers. > > I know they recommend not eating foods with 'iron' if you are a cancer patient and lots of vitamin manufacturers no longer put iron in they multi-vits/minerals. > > Merle > > foxhillers@... wrote: > > > are no malignancies. They did find though that I have almost no iron > > levels in my bone marrow and want me to go on a prescription iron > > supplement. i wonder why I would have this deficiency though. Maybe > > the Doxy is causing it? I am concerned about taking iron as I have so > > many infections and doesn't iron 'feed' them? Anyone else have this > > prroblem? a > > >> > > > This list is intended for patients to share personal experiences with each other, not to give medical advice. If you are interested in any treatment discussed here, please consult your doctor. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 Hi, all. I think what a is referring to is the fact that if iron is in excess in the body, there is more of a chance that some of it will exist in the free (unbound) ionic state. In this state, it can serve as a catalyst to form hydroxyl free radicals, via the Fenton reaction. Dr. Cheney doesn't advocate supplementing iron in CFS for this reason, I believe. Some general nutritional supplements leave out iron, again for this reason, I think. It's also true that there are PWCs who are low in iron, and who suffer from iron deficiency anemia, and these people do need more iron. So I would agree that it's a good idea to be tested for iron before taking very much of it. And it's not sufficient to simply measure the iron level in the blood. Ferritin or total iron binding capacity need to be measured to get a true idea of the iron status of the body. We all have a requirement for some iron, and of course women who are menstruating have a higher requirement than those of us who are not menstruating. Rich > Perhaps Rich can reply on this in more detail. I recall that the body > sometimes reduces iron levels when we have infection. I am not sure we > should be adding iron. I know we should not add iron unless we have tested > low. I am sorry I no longer have the research articles on this as my > computer crashed awhile back and I lost files. > a > > From: " " <johnml@o...> > Subject: Re: Re: hair loss > > Two things helped me with hair loss and brittle ridged messy nails > > 1) Iron - I had low ferretin levels - it may be worth getting tested > > 2) Betaine HCL - I realised that the low Iron was caused by a lack of > stomach acid. I now take betaine supplement which has helped my nails a lot > > Oh also MSM 1000mgs helped a bit but not as much as the two above > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 Perhaps Rich can reply on this in more detail. I recall that the body sometimes reduces iron levels when we have infection. I am not sure we should be adding iron. I know we should not add iron unless we have tested low. I am sorry I no longer have the research articles on this as my computer crashed awhile back and I lost files. a Hi a Yeh I had doubts about the iron for this reason but my ferretin was really low - under 20 - and I do feel better for taking it. But I don't think anyone should take it unless they have tests that show they have iron anaemia or low ferretin From: " " <johnml@...> Subject: Re: Re: hair loss Two things helped me with hair loss and brittle ridged messy nails 1) Iron - I had low ferretin levels - it may be worth getting tested 2) Betaine HCL - I realised that the low Iron was caused by a lack of stomach acid. I now take betaine supplement which has helped my nails a lot Oh also MSM 1000mgs helped a bit but not as much as the two above Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 3, 2003 Report Share Posted June 3, 2003 I've had low ferritin problems since the last 6 years. My doc rec'd I take Lactoferrin with my iron supplements, this increases the bioavailability of iron so that I don't have to take such a high dose. http://www.lfplus.com/s2/2214.html Lactoferrin, a natural protein fraction present in both cow's and mother's milk, has a number of interesting functional and nutritional properties. Among these, lactoferrin has the ability to bind and transport iron and release it again at specific receptor cells in the human intestine. By doing so, lactoferrin enhances the actual absorption. This enables a lower effective iron dosage level and at the same time reduces the negative side effects already mentioned in conjunction with too high iron loads. Prevention of these side effects will help to improve compliance with the consumer when using iron supplements or iron fortified foods and drinks. Iron-supplementation: potential problems and limitations When considering bioavailability of iron, one routinely distinguishes between heme-bound iron (animal origin) and non-heme iron. The bioavailability of heme-iron is considered to be high. On the other hand, the bioavailability of non-heme iron (inorganic iron salts) is generally believed to be much lower (1-10%) due to poor solubility and binding to other components in the diet. Well-known inhibitors of iron absorption are phytate (e.g., in cereals, soy products) and polyphenolics (e.g., in tea). Due to the rather poor bioavailability of the inorganic iron used in most iron supplements, relatively high intakes of iron are required. Several authors have pointed out that these high iron levels in supplements may have detrimental effects. Among these are promoting bacterial infections, gastro-intestinal discomfort, diarrhea or constipation, iron toxicity, but also a reduction of the bioavailability of other minerals or trace elements. Lactoferrin in iron supplements and fortified foods In 1988, rat studies showed that at marginal iron intakes, the induced anemia, measured as very low hemoglobin values after being fed with iron deficient diets, could be relieved by iron bound to lactoferrin. Figure 1 shows this effect of 50 ug of iron per day in combination with lactoferrin. Hemoglobin levels could be normalized with iron sulphate only: However a daily dosage of 200 ug iron was required, an increase by a factor of 4. The results of this study justify the conclusion that lactoferrin is able to enhance bioavailability of iron. Human studies have been performed as well, basically supporting the results of the aforementioned rat study. Iron-lactoferrin tablets were given to volunteers with suboptimal hemoglobin levels. Tablets containing only 7 mg of elemental iron and 100 mg lactoferrin were taken one per day for the duration of the test period (five weeks). The results showed a statistical significant difference in hemoglobin levels. Important to note as well is that no side-effects, possibly resulting from the iron-lactoferrin tablets used, were reported by the volunteers. As mentioned above, studies with rats have shown that iron bound to lactoferrin is about four times more effective than iron sulphate in relieving anemia [1]. The reason for this difference in bioavailability of iron probably lies in the adaptive mechanism of cells to synthesize specific receptors on their surfaces when intracellular pools of metabolites are depleted. For transferrin, the iron-transport protein in blood, it is now well established that cells increase their synthesis of receptors as soon as there is a need for iron [2]. A similar situation exists for lactoferrin as shown recently for human intestinal cells. Iron deprivation of cells by an iron chelator results in increased binding of lactoferrin to these cells, a direct reflection of the number of receptors on the cells. This process of targeted delivery of iron, tightly bound to lactoferrin, reduces the detrimental effects that may occur with much higher dosages of simple iron salts. Iron deficiency continues to be a major problem, and its elimination would improve the health and quality of life for millions of sufferers. An efficient and superior tool to help combat this deficiency is iron supplemented with lactoferrin. The benefits for athletes must also be stressed. In cases where body iron is being depleted, iron supplementation with the support of lactoferrin is a good alternative. Iron-binding properties Most of the reported functional properties of lactoferrin are related to its iron-binding activity (Figure 3). Lactoferrin's affinity for iron is very high (e.g., 260 times that of blood serum transferrin) with an affinity constant of about 1020 This enables the use of lactoferrin for the prevention of such iron- catalyzed processes as the generation of free (hydroxyl) radicals and lipid peroxydation [5-7]. The iron-binding capacity of lactoferrin is dependent upon the presence of (small amounts) of bicarbonate. Depending on the bicarbonate concentration, high concentrations of citrate can counteract the iron-binding efficiency of lactoferrin. Targeted delivery of iron by lactoferrin One mole of lactoferrin binds two moles of ferric iron. Assuming a molecular weight of 80,000 for lactoferrin and 56 for iron, this means that 1 gram of fully iron-saturated lactoferrin tightly binds 1.4 mg of iron. In vitro studies have shown that lactoferrin can keep more iron in solution than anticipated based on this molar ratio of 2:1. This supersaturation occurs over a wide pH range. In an acid environment, the oxidation of Fe2+ to Fe3+ is not favored, yet Nagasako at al. [8] demonstrated higher solubility of ferrous sulphate solution at pH 3 and pH 5 upon inclusion of bovine lactoferrin. Conditions can be met whereby lactoferrin solubilizes a 140-fold molar equivalent of iron. Kawakami et al. [9] showed increased solubility at neutral pH with a 70-fold molar equivalent of iron to lactoferrin. This property was unaffected by phosphate or persin/trypsin digestion. The binding efficiency of a purified (negatively charged) phosphoserine-rich casein peptide (CCP) was only 1/10 of that observed with lactoferrin. This supersaturation with iron indicates that apart from the iron chelation in the lobes, other parts of the lactoferrin molecule may bind iron; histidine residues on the outer surface of the molecule are involved in this extra binding. The significance of these findings are quite relevant when formulating products with lactoferrin because the cost/price effects of adding lactoferrin may be substantially reduced. In a study, Mikogami et al. [3] showed that a human colon derived cell line that differentiates as small intestine enterocytes responds to iron deprivation with increased lactoferrin binding to the cells. This study used native human lactoferrin, but it has been shown repeatedly that bovine lactoferrin binds to the human cell receptors as well [10-11]. The iron-loaded lactoferrin bound to the receptor will be internalized with the iron being released in the lysosomal cell compartment [12-13]. This process of upregulation of the synthesis of cell membrane receptors for iron-containing proteins upon iron deprivation is very reminiscent of serum transferrin regulated iron transport between tissues [2]. So it seems that lactoferrin can solubilize iron in the intestinal tract and deliver iron to mucosal cells with increased amounts of lactoferrin receptors. Literature references [1] Kawakami, H., et al. (1988). Effects of iron-saturated lactoferrin on iron absorption. Agric. Biol. Chem. 52 (4), 903-908. [2] Fairweather-Tait, S. (1993). Iron. FLAIR Concerted Action No. 10, Status Papers. International Journal of Vitamin and Nutrition Research, 63, 296-301. [3] Mikogami, T., et al. Effect of intracellular iron depletion by pieolinic acid on expression of the lactoferrin receptor in the human colon carcinoma cell subclone HT29-18-C1. Biochemical Journal 308, 391-397. [4] Baker, E.N., et al. (1994). In: Hutchens, T.W. and Lonnerdal, B. (1997), Lactoferrin: interactions and biological functions, Humana Press, 1-12. [5] Cotte, J. (1991). Le Lait, une matière d'avenir pour la cosmetique. Le Lait, 71, 213-224. [6] Demande de Brevet d' Invention. No 2596986. Utilisation de la lactoferrine dans les preparations cosmetique antiradicaux fibres. [7] Monteiro, H.P., and Winterbourn, C.C. (1988). The superoxide- dependent transfer of iron from ferritin to transferrin and lactoferrin. Biochem. J., 256, 923-928. [8] Nagasako, Y., et al. (1993). Iron-binding properties of bovine lactoferrin in iron-rich solution. J. Dairy Sci., 76, 1876-1881. [9] Kawakami, H. et al. (1993). Effect of lactoferrin on iron solubility under neutral conditions. Biosci. Biotech. Biochem. 57(8), 1376-1377. [10] Spik, G., et al. (1993). Binding properties of different lactotransferrins to human lactotransferrin receptor. In: New perspectives in infant nutrition (eds. Renner, B. and Sawatzki, G.), Thieme Verlag, Stuugart, 77-83. [11] Raju, U. and Hutchens, T.W. (1995). Lactoferrin-induced alterations in the synthesis of specific proteins in human target cells. Second Int. Symp. on Lactoferrin Structure and Function, Feb. 19-22, Honolulu, to be published. [12] Mikogami, T., et al. (1994). Apical-to-basolateral transepithelial transport of human lactoferrin in the intestinal cell line HT-29cl.19A. Am J. Physiol., 267, G308-G315. [13] Bi, B.Y., et al. (1996). Internalization of human lactoferrin by the Jurkat human lymphoblastic T-cell line. Eur. J. Cell. Biol. 69, 288-296. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2012 Report Share Posted February 7, 2012 my iron levels with 27 mg. of elemental iron came up from 75 to 119. is it ok to stop the iron or do i continue. even with supplements it is not good to go over the top of the range is it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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