A ranch house, a zip lock bag and some ordinary flour
Two experiments:
A magnet is passed over the bag and an extraordinary thing happens - Iron particles start popping out and attaching themselves to the side of the bag, forming clusters of what looked like iron filings.
The next experiment involves placing a well-known brand of cereal into a bowl of water. The magnet is again passed over the bowl this time and the flakes literally line up and follow the magnet round the bowl.
We’ve all been told that heart attacks and heart bypass surgery are as a direct result of clogging or furring of our arteries by ‘bad cholesterol’. The arteries become so narrowed as to make the blood flow through the arteries very difficult thus placing enormous strains on the cardio-vascular system.
A few trace metals that we absorb are toxic, these include iron and lead
Chelating substances attach to desirable trace metals and allow the body to properly utilize those metals they also attach to undesirable trace metals and allow the body to remove them.
Types of Chelator
Many chemicals can serve as chelators. There are some weak chelators present in common foods.
Stronger chelators are substances used medicinally to rid the body of excess toxic metals
Why is there potential for Iron Overload? Iron overload is possible because there is no normal mechanism for removing it from the body.
The body is iron-efficient, it retains its iron and recycles it over and over again.
The body's iron level is controlled almost entirely by absorption and iron can build up progressively as dietary intake increases, especially in men because they do not have a monthly blood loss.
Iron and Heart Disease Risk
Iron can generate free radical pathology.
Accumulation of excess iron in the body may increase the risk for heart disease and the connection doesn't end there....
Health statistics have revealed that women have a lower risk of heart disease than men, until menopause, after which the risk is the same.
Why?
Pre-menopausal women have a monthly blood loss that rids the body of excess, potentially toxic iron, which may protect against heart disease.
Even pre-menopausal women with high blood cholesterol levels and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which are considered to be strong risk factors for heart disease, have less heart disease than men.
Lead is a toxic element that has many undesirable health effects.
Evidence links excess lead with cardiovascular disease, cancer and other disorders.
This led the researchers to test the effect of a lead-removing substance - EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid),a man-made amino acid and chelating agent - on cancer rates in people living near high-traffic roads.
After 18 years those treated with EDTA had one-tenth of the cancer rate of those not treated with EDTA.
(1) Chelation Therapy
This is the use of chelating agents, orally or by injection, in order to bind and remove harmful metals from the body.
The man-made chelating agent EDTA can remove most toxic metals.
Intravenous Chelation
This therapy has been used by doctors as an effective alternative to bypass surgery for atherosclerosis since the 1950s, giving hope that having hardening of the arteries need not lead to coronary bypass surgery, heart attack, stroke and numerous other related diseases.
Doctors noted reduced pain and blood cholesterol levels as well as other favorable changes. EDTA chelation therapy has been reported to help in many conditions now thought to be related to free radical pathology: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and others.
Another effect of EDTA is that it changes the calcium/ magnesium ratio in the body.
EDTA removes calcium more efficiently than magnesium which reduces the ratio.
Lowering the ratio improves the flexibility of blood cells, reduces the tendency of blood to clot and reduces blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
In the case of intravenous chelation, EDTA is used as the chelating agent.
Oral Chelation
Oral EDTA therapy can also be used. - there are many so-called oral chelation supplements on the market containing few or no chelating substances!
For an oral chelation supplement that has been tested and certified to lower bad cholesterol by The University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition: Go to http://GetaHealthyHeart.com
References:
1. Blumer,W, et al Environmental International 3: 1980, pages 465-471
Bibliography:
New Answers to Old Questions, The Free Radical Story by Harry W Hersey
3 Best Ways to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia
Did you know that Iron Deficiency Anemia affects about 20% of the world’s population?
1. Eat Foods that are Rich in Iron
The best food sources of iron are wholegrain cereals, pulses and legumes, and fish. The best plant sources are green leafy vegetables such as dry lotus stems, cauliflower greens, and turnip greens; fruits such as black currants, watermelons, raisins, and dried dates. However, irons from these foods are hard for the body to absorb. It is recommended that you eat animal products, which contain heme iron. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.
2. Cook Using Cast-Iron Cookwares
Did you know that cooking in cast-iron cookwares can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body? Acidic foods that have higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorb the most iron. In fact, for 100 grams of each (about 3.5oz.), the applesauce increased in iron content from 0.35mg to 7.3mg, and the spaghetti sauce jumped from 0.6mg to 5.7mg of iron.
Food cooked for longer periods of time absorbed more iron than food that was heated more quickly. Foods prepared with a newer iron skillet absorbed more iron than those cooked in an older one. Foods that were cooked and stirred more frequently absorbed greater amount of iron because they came into contact with the iron more often. Foods such as hamburger, corn tortillas, cornbread, and liver with onions won't absorb much iron due to the shorter cooking times.
This list was provided so you can have general idea of the difference in dietary iron content when cooking in a cast-iron pan:
Foods Tested (100g/3.5oz) = Iron content when raw = Iron content after cooking in iron skillet
- Applesauce, unsweetened = 0.35mg = 7.38mg
- Spaghetti sauce = 0.61 = 5.77
- Chili with meat and beans = 0.96 = 6.27
- Medium white sauce = 0.22 = 3.30
- Scrambled egg = 1.49 = 4.76
- Spaghetti sauce with meat = 0.71 = 3.58
- Beef vegetable stew = 0.66 = 3.4
- Fried egg = 1.92 = 3.48
- Spanish rice = 0.87 = 2.25
- Rice, white = 0.67 = 1.97
- Pan broiled bacon = 0.77 = 1.92
- Poached egg = 1.87 = 2.32
- Fried chicken = 0.88 = 1.89
- Pancakes = 0.63 = 1.31
- Pan fried green beans = 0.64 = 1.18
- Pan broiled hamburger = 1.49 = 2.29
- Fried potatoes = 0.42 = 0.8
- Fried corn tortillas = 0.86 = 1.23
- Pan-fried beef liver with onions = 3.1 = 3.87
- Baked cornbread = 0.67 = 0.86
3. Whole cow's milk contains as much iron per liter as breast milk, but only a very small proportion is actually absorbed into the body. However, the iron in breast milk is very well absorbed by babies. Bottom line: breast-feeding is the best way to prevent iron deficiency anemia in babies. If breast-feeding is not an option, or is stopped before 9-12 months, then iron-fortified formulas, which contain added iron, should be given to baby instead of whole cow's milk.
* Chronic blood loss, times of increased need such as pregnancy, and vigorous exercise can trigger iron deficiency.
* Don't take iron supplements unless advised by your doctor.
* There are two types of iron: heme iron (found in animal foods) and nonheme iron (found in plant foods). Combining foods that are high in heme iron with nonheme iron foods boosts the absorption power.
Two experiments:
A magnet is passed over the bag and an extraordinary thing happens - Iron particles start popping out and attaching themselves to the side of the bag, forming clusters of what looked like iron filings.
The next experiment involves placing a well-known brand of cereal into a bowl of water. The magnet is again passed over the bowl this time and the flakes literally line up and follow the magnet round the bowl.
We’ve all been told that heart attacks and heart bypass surgery are as a direct result of clogging or furring of our arteries by ‘bad cholesterol’. The arteries become so narrowed as to make the blood flow through the arteries very difficult thus placing enormous strains on the cardio-vascular system.
A few trace metals that we absorb are toxic, these include iron and lead
Chelating substances attach to desirable trace metals and allow the body to properly utilize those metals they also attach to undesirable trace metals and allow the body to remove them.
Types of Chelator
Many chemicals can serve as chelators. There are some weak chelators present in common foods.
Stronger chelators are substances used medicinally to rid the body of excess toxic metals
Why is there potential for Iron Overload? Iron overload is possible because there is no normal mechanism for removing it from the body.
The body is iron-efficient, it retains its iron and recycles it over and over again.
The body's iron level is controlled almost entirely by absorption and iron can build up progressively as dietary intake increases, especially in men because they do not have a monthly blood loss.
Iron and Heart Disease Risk
Iron can generate free radical pathology.
Accumulation of excess iron in the body may increase the risk for heart disease and the connection doesn't end there....
Health statistics have revealed that women have a lower risk of heart disease than men, until menopause, after which the risk is the same.
Why?
Pre-menopausal women have a monthly blood loss that rids the body of excess, potentially toxic iron, which may protect against heart disease.
Even pre-menopausal women with high blood cholesterol levels and high levels of LDL (bad) cholesterol, which are considered to be strong risk factors for heart disease, have less heart disease than men.
Lead is a toxic element that has many undesirable health effects.
Evidence links excess lead with cardiovascular disease, cancer and other disorders.
This led the researchers to test the effect of a lead-removing substance - EDTA (ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid),a man-made amino acid and chelating agent - on cancer rates in people living near high-traffic roads.
After 18 years those treated with EDTA had one-tenth of the cancer rate of those not treated with EDTA.
(1) Chelation Therapy
This is the use of chelating agents, orally or by injection, in order to bind and remove harmful metals from the body.
The man-made chelating agent EDTA can remove most toxic metals.
Intravenous Chelation
This therapy has been used by doctors as an effective alternative to bypass surgery for atherosclerosis since the 1950s, giving hope that having hardening of the arteries need not lead to coronary bypass surgery, heart attack, stroke and numerous other related diseases.
Doctors noted reduced pain and blood cholesterol levels as well as other favorable changes. EDTA chelation therapy has been reported to help in many conditions now thought to be related to free radical pathology: Rheumatoid Arthritis, Diabetes, Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease and others.
Another effect of EDTA is that it changes the calcium/ magnesium ratio in the body.
EDTA removes calcium more efficiently than magnesium which reduces the ratio.
Lowering the ratio improves the flexibility of blood cells, reduces the tendency of blood to clot and reduces blood cholesterol and blood pressure.
In the case of intravenous chelation, EDTA is used as the chelating agent.
Oral Chelation
Oral EDTA therapy can also be used. - there are many so-called oral chelation supplements on the market containing few or no chelating substances!
For an oral chelation supplement that has been tested and certified to lower bad cholesterol by The University of Illinois, Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition: Go to http://GetaHealthyHeart.com
References:
1. Blumer,W, et al Environmental International 3: 1980, pages 465-471
Bibliography:
New Answers to Old Questions, The Free Radical Story by Harry W Hersey
3 Best Ways to Prevent Iron Deficiency Anemia
Did you know that Iron Deficiency Anemia affects about 20% of the world’s population?
1. Eat Foods that are Rich in Iron
The best food sources of iron are wholegrain cereals, pulses and legumes, and fish. The best plant sources are green leafy vegetables such as dry lotus stems, cauliflower greens, and turnip greens; fruits such as black currants, watermelons, raisins, and dried dates. However, irons from these foods are hard for the body to absorb. It is recommended that you eat animal products, which contain heme iron. Foods rich in vitamin C also increase iron absorption.
2. Cook Using Cast-Iron Cookwares
Did you know that cooking in cast-iron cookwares can add significant amounts of iron to your food and into your body? Acidic foods that have higher moisture content, such as applesauce and spaghetti sauce, absorb the most iron. In fact, for 100 grams of each (about 3.5oz.), the applesauce increased in iron content from 0.35mg to 7.3mg, and the spaghetti sauce jumped from 0.6mg to 5.7mg of iron.
Food cooked for longer periods of time absorbed more iron than food that was heated more quickly. Foods prepared with a newer iron skillet absorbed more iron than those cooked in an older one. Foods that were cooked and stirred more frequently absorbed greater amount of iron because they came into contact with the iron more often. Foods such as hamburger, corn tortillas, cornbread, and liver with onions won't absorb much iron due to the shorter cooking times.
This list was provided so you can have general idea of the difference in dietary iron content when cooking in a cast-iron pan:
Foods Tested (100g/3.5oz) = Iron content when raw = Iron content after cooking in iron skillet
- Applesauce, unsweetened = 0.35mg = 7.38mg
- Spaghetti sauce = 0.61 = 5.77
- Chili with meat and beans = 0.96 = 6.27
- Medium white sauce = 0.22 = 3.30
- Scrambled egg = 1.49 = 4.76
- Spaghetti sauce with meat = 0.71 = 3.58
- Beef vegetable stew = 0.66 = 3.4
- Fried egg = 1.92 = 3.48
- Spanish rice = 0.87 = 2.25
- Rice, white = 0.67 = 1.97
- Pan broiled bacon = 0.77 = 1.92
- Poached egg = 1.87 = 2.32
- Fried chicken = 0.88 = 1.89
- Pancakes = 0.63 = 1.31
- Pan fried green beans = 0.64 = 1.18
- Pan broiled hamburger = 1.49 = 2.29
- Fried potatoes = 0.42 = 0.8
- Fried corn tortillas = 0.86 = 1.23
- Pan-fried beef liver with onions = 3.1 = 3.87
- Baked cornbread = 0.67 = 0.86
3. Whole cow's milk contains as much iron per liter as breast milk, but only a very small proportion is actually absorbed into the body. However, the iron in breast milk is very well absorbed by babies. Bottom line: breast-feeding is the best way to prevent iron deficiency anemia in babies. If breast-feeding is not an option, or is stopped before 9-12 months, then iron-fortified formulas, which contain added iron, should be given to baby instead of whole cow's milk.
* Chronic blood loss, times of increased need such as pregnancy, and vigorous exercise can trigger iron deficiency.
* Don't take iron supplements unless advised by your doctor.
* There are two types of iron: heme iron (found in animal foods) and nonheme iron (found in plant foods). Combining foods that are high in heme iron with nonheme iron foods boosts the absorption power.
November 12, 2009 at 1:44 AM
Nice informative post, thanks for sharing. Iron is crucial for good health. Iron deficiency may results in many diseases. You must take the advice of a doctor when it comes to iron and health.
Regards,
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