Sandra17
18-05-09, 06:53 AM
I thought I would share some of what I've been learning recently in case it is of interest to anyone, or they have more to teach me.
My siblings and I were tested for the hemachromatosis gene after our Dad was diagnosed with it. I have it, as do my siblings. Although my levels of ferritin were highish for my age, they weren't of need to act concern. That was ten years ago. I've been researching more lately because I want to hit my body with vitamin C to get rid of current winter lurgy and I need to know how this interacts with my stored iron levels.
Initial googled advice was not to supplement with vitamin C, but to eat plenty of vitamin C rich foods was fine.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/131/6/476
The acknowledgement in that article that many untreated patients are deficient in vitamin C told me clearly that I needed to understand more. I am really fed up with getting colds and flu!
I found this article interesting. It suggests that hemochromatosis may be a deficiency of copper rather than an excess of iron.
http://www.ithyroid.com/hemochromatosis.htm
Then I found this on antioxidants, with an explanation of how iron bonding and freeing works:
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/haemochromatosis1.html
In summary, it is postulated that the basic biochemical defect which leads to the development of hemochromatosis is a tissue deficiency of antioxidants which inhibits the recycling of iron from old erythrocytes and this in tum induces increased intestinal absorption for the necessary synthesis of haem. The obvious advantages of antioxidant therapy as compared to the traditional management of hemochromatosis will hopefully stimulate more research in this area.
- from the link immediately above this
And some suggestions of antioxidants which are particular value:
http://www.lef.org/protocols/metabolic_health/hemochromatosis_01.htm
vitamins A & E; milk thistle, glutathion, NAC, SAMe.
I've reached for the cod liver oil in the fridge and am going to be looking more at food sources of vitamin E and copper. This is all starting to explain not just the vulnerability to colds, but also slow wound healing and skin which tears more easily than I would like.
Now I'm off to learn more about NAC and SAMe.
My siblings and I were tested for the hemachromatosis gene after our Dad was diagnosed with it. I have it, as do my siblings. Although my levels of ferritin were highish for my age, they weren't of need to act concern. That was ten years ago. I've been researching more lately because I want to hit my body with vitamin C to get rid of current winter lurgy and I need to know how this interacts with my stored iron levels.
Initial googled advice was not to supplement with vitamin C, but to eat plenty of vitamin C rich foods was fine.
http://www.annals.org/cgi/content/full/131/6/476
The acknowledgement in that article that many untreated patients are deficient in vitamin C told me clearly that I needed to understand more. I am really fed up with getting colds and flu!
I found this article interesting. It suggests that hemochromatosis may be a deficiency of copper rather than an excess of iron.
http://www.ithyroid.com/hemochromatosis.htm
Then I found this on antioxidants, with an explanation of how iron bonding and freeing works:
http://www.health-science-spirit.com/haemochromatosis1.html
In summary, it is postulated that the basic biochemical defect which leads to the development of hemochromatosis is a tissue deficiency of antioxidants which inhibits the recycling of iron from old erythrocytes and this in tum induces increased intestinal absorption for the necessary synthesis of haem. The obvious advantages of antioxidant therapy as compared to the traditional management of hemochromatosis will hopefully stimulate more research in this area.
- from the link immediately above this
And some suggestions of antioxidants which are particular value:
http://www.lef.org/protocols/metabolic_health/hemochromatosis_01.htm
vitamins A & E; milk thistle, glutathion, NAC, SAMe.
I've reached for the cod liver oil in the fridge and am going to be looking more at food sources of vitamin E and copper. This is all starting to explain not just the vulnerability to colds, but also slow wound healing and skin which tears more easily than I would like.
Now I'm off to learn more about NAC and SAMe.