Can excessive iron in body harm your health? Here’s what experts say

While iron is an important mineral and the lack of it can lead to many issues, did you know that excessive consumption of iron can be harmful, too?
Dr Satish Koul, Director, Internal Medicine, Fortis Memorial Research Institute, Gurugram explained, “Excess of iron is harmful to the body as it may lead to deposition of iron in organs and cause organ failure.” He added that due to multiple transfusions, thalassemia patients develop endocrine disorders.
Buy Now | Our best subscription plan now has a special price
According to the expert, however, there is quite less number of cases in India wherein people have an excess of iron content in their body. “It is more commonly seen in thalassemia minor patients, genetic conditions like hemochromotosis, people who are on regular blood transfusion due to any underlying disorder, and people who have habit of taking unwarranted iron /multivitamin ‘nutraceuticals’,” he said.

Women’s functional nutrition practitioner Meg Langston took to Instagram to share the damaging effects that excess iron has on the gut-brain connection.
“Many of us have heard of the gut-brain connection or the Enteric Nervous system (ENS). This is the system where the gut and brain communicate back and forth with one another. When our gut has disruption in it via bacterial overgrowth and infections, symptoms like anxiety and depression can arise,” she wrote.

She also shared that one can get excess iron in the body from birth control pills, not having periods, deficiency in minerals like magnesium and bio-available copper, and fortified foods.
Explaining how iron can impact our gut, she said that it feeds and keeps alive bad or opportunic bacteria. “When we have an over abundance of bad bacteria to good bacteria (we are 10-1 bacteria to human cells), it will negatively impact the gut-brain communication,” she added.
Langston suggested three ways which can help in cases of iron overload:
Donate blood: Women who are still menstruating should donate one to two times a year. Women can do it three to four times a year after menopause.
Avoid iron fortified foods: Foods like cereals, bread and flour should be limited.
Consume minerals which help balance protein: One can consume minerals like bio-available copper and magnesium.

How much should a person consume?
Dr Koul highlighted that the daily allowance of iron differs from person to person. Gender differences, age, and the amount of activity one does are important factors when it comes to deciding recommended daily allowance, he said.
“Menstruating females need at least 20 to 25 mg per day of iron as compared to men of similar age group who need 15 to 17 mg per day. Pregnant and lactating females need at least 5 mg per day of excess daily iron as compared to other females,” the expert added.
📣 For more lifestyle news, follow us on Instagram | Twitter | Facebook and don’t miss out on the latest updates!