Unbound iron linked to degenerative diseases

jfh · � #1 � 12-16-2010, 05:55 AM

I had a friend who died with Parkinsonism. He was convinced that it was due to cooking with cast iron during WWII as a soldier in the field. I tend to agree that metals can short circuit brain neurons and cause many problems.

Quote:

By Nathan Gray, 10-Dec-2010
Eating purple fruits like blueberries and drinking green tea may help to prevent diseases including Alzheimer�s, multiple sclerosis and Parkinson�s, according to a new review.

The study, published in Archives of Toxicology, suggests the majority of debilitating illnesses are, in part, caused by poorly-bound iron, which may lead to the production of dangerous toxins, called hydroxyl radicals, which react with cells and tissues in the body and lead to degenerative diseases.

�The importance of iron may have been missed because there is no gene for iron as such. What I have highlighted in this work is therefore a crucial area for further investigation, as many simple predictions follow from my analysis,� said Douglas Kell, professor of Bioanalytical Science at the University of Manchester and author of the review.

�If true they might change greatly the means by which we seek to prevent and even cure such diseases,� he added.

According to Kell, his review is the first time the link has been made between so many different diseases and the presence of the wrong form of iron, and gives a crucial clue as to how to prevent them or at least slow them down, he added.

Disease link

Kell said every pathway of disease is in some sense connected to every other. He highlighted evidence suggesting that �the degenerative effects of many diseases and toxicological insults converge on iron dysregulation.�

�This highlights specifically the role of iron metabolism, and the detailed speciation of iron, in chemical and other toxicology, and has significant implications for the use of iron chelating substances (probably in partnership with appropriate anti-oxidants) as nutritional or therapeutic agents in inhibiting both the progression of these mainly degenerative diseases,� he said

He added that that the exact molecular mechanisms, cascades and networks involved in each case depend on many other factors, but argued that the �extensive evidence for iron�s involvement that I cite here and elsewhere is very hard to ignore.�

Protection

To protect the body from these dangerous varieties of poorly-bound iron, Prof Kell said it is vital to take on certain nutrients which can bind tightly to iron (known as iron chelators).

Brightly colored fruits and vegetables, and green tea, are known to be good sources of iron chelators, though purple fruits are considered to have the best chance of binding the iron effectively, said Kell.

He also noted that despite conflicting reports, the widely-publicized benefits of red wine seem to work in a different way, and have no benefit for iron binding.

Kell also indicated that excess vitamin C can in fact have the opposite effect to that intended if unbound iron is present. He said that although vitamin C is thought to be of great benefit to the body�s ability to defend itself against toxins and diseases, it can only work effectively when iron is suitably and safely bound.

Prof Kell argued that the means by which poorly bound iron accelerates the onset of debilitating diseases shows up areas in which current, traditional thinking is flawed and can be dangerous.

Source: Archives of Toxicology
Volume 84, Pages 825�889, doi: 10.1007/s00204-010-0577-x
�Towards a unifying, systems biology understanding of large-scale cellular death and destruction caused by poorly liganded iron: Parkinson�s, Huntington�s, Alzheimer�s, prions, bactericides, chemical toxicology and others as examples �
Author: D.B. Kell

Ted_Hutchinson · � #2 � 12-16-2010, 06:51 AM

I like KELL's work.
You may also want to read
Iron behaving badly: inappropriate iron chelation as a major contributor to the aetiology of vascular and other progressive inflammatory and degenerative diseases
Open Access so full text at link.

Not a bad idea for men to donate blood regularly and make sure you aren't getting multivits/mins with IRON added to them, they may be fine for premenopausal women but supplemental iron shouldn't be necessary for the average man.

Towards a unifying, systems biology understanding of large-scale
cellular death and destruction caused by poorly liganded iron:Parkinson’s, Huntington’s, Alzheimer’s, prions, bactericides,chemical toxicology and others as examples I've just had a skim through this paper. Not easy reading its so full of references but the connection with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's is quite clear.
He is a bit of a DATAMINING nerd and this is why he has so many references to back up the ideas.
We really need someone with the same datamining techniques to sort out the data on carbohydrates and wheat and disease incidence.

Ted_Hutchinson · � #3 � 12-16-2010, 08:32 AM

It may be worth ensuring those with neurodegerative conditions use Curcum as that is an iron chelator.
Iron chelation in the biological activity of curcumin.

Iron chelation by the powerful antioxidant flavonoid quercetin.

Too Much of a Good Thing by Bill Sardi useful article on Iron. In it he says you lose iron when you sweat. So maybe that's one of the reasons exercise is good for you.

Also explains the route why which Aspirin helps heart disease.

Looks like Resveratrol also helps protect from iron damage

Iron Chelator Phytic Acid For Alzheimer's

Looks like Green Tea drinking also prevents iron build up. and acts as an iron chelator
Effects of green tea on iron accumulation and oxidative stress in livers of iron-challenged thalassemic mice.

Sensitization of skin fibroblasts to UVA by excess iron. Perhaps sweating the iron out on a hot sunny day isn't such a smart idea.

jfh · � #4 � 12-16-2010, 02:53 PM

IP6 (inositol hexaphosphate) is a powerful iron chelator too.

D Bergy · � #5 � 12-16-2010, 05:04 PM

Well now I wonder if I have any Iron in me at all?

I take Turmeric, drink Green Tea, and use the sauna regularly. On top of that, I have Crohn's which often means poor Iron absorption.

At least Parkinson's Disease seem like a remote possibility.

Dan

Ted_Hutchinson · � #6 � 12-17-2010, 12:14 PM

Towards a unifying, systems biology understanding of large-scale cellular death and destruction caused by poorly liganded iron: Parkinson�s, Huntington�s, Alzheimer�s, prions, bactericides, chemical toxicology and others as examples

I think the key paragragh from this is

Quote:

Iron contains up to six individual chelation sites, arranged octahedrally, and ligands can typically satisfy them partially (i.e. some ligands are bidentate or tridentate and need three or two molecules for full liganding/activity) or fully i.e. are hexadentate.
Since iron cannot be transmuted into any other substance, the only way to stop the damaging activity of free or partially liganded �iron� is to ensure that all of its six possible liganding sites are satisfied, whether by endogenous chelators or those added from the diet or as pharmaceuticals.
Put another way, it is not simply enough to know that �iron� is present at an adequate level but that it is available in a suitably liganded form. Anaemia can be caused by poor liganding as well as by an actual shortage of �iron� itself.

So the trouble with iron is not just that it behaves badly on it's own but rather it needs 6 minders (chelators) to prevent it causing trouble.

Ted_Hutchinson · � #7 � 12-19-2010, 06:00 AM

Dietary Fats, Cholesterol and Iron as Risk Factors for Parkinson's Disease

Quote:

Background
Epidemiologic findings suggest that dietary components may contribute to the etiology of Parkinson's disease (PD). This population-based case-control study evaluated PD risk and dietary intake of fats, cholesterol and iron.
Methods
Newly diagnosed case (n = 420) and age/gender/ethnicity-matched unrelated controls (n = 560) were identified between 1992 and 2006 from the Group Health Cooperative health maintenance organization in western Washington State, and the University of Washington neurology clinic. In-person interviews elicited data on food frequency habits during most of adult life. Nutritional intakes were calculated and analyzed, with adjustments made for total energy intake (the �nutrition density� technique).
Results
Cholesterol intake in the highest quartile compared with the lowest quartile was associated with a decreased risk of PD in men (odds ratio (OR)=0.53, 95% CI: 0.33, 0.86). The highest versus the lowest quartile of dietary iron increased PD risk in men (OR=1.82, 95% CI: 1.11, 2.99). When the lowest quartile of cholesterol and the highest quartile for iron were compared to the highest quartile of cholesterol and the lowest quartile of iron, no association was seen in women, but for men PD risk was increased (OR=2.70, 95% CI: 1.26, 5.76). Saturated fat intake below the median in combination with iron intake above the median also increased PD risk (OR=1.50, 95% CI: 1.07, 2.11) in both genders combined.
Conclusions
A low intake of cholesterol, particularly in the presence of high iron, may be associated with an increased risk for PD.

The full text of this paper is at the link above. It's well worth reading.

If you want a plain English summary of the paper Here's a Daily Mail version, Excess iron raises risk of Parkinson's

Quote:

People with high levels of iron in their diet are more likely to develop Parkinson's disease, research suggested today.
A study found that high levels of manganese and iron could make people twice as likely as those with low levels of the minerals to fall victim to the degenerative condition.
But the author of the University of Washington study, Harvey Checkoway, said the benefits of eating foods rich in the minerals still outweighed the risks of developing Parkinson's.
The researchers compared 250 newly-diagnosed Parkinson's patients with 388 people without the disease and asked them how often they ate iron-rich foods during their adult life.
Scientists found that people with higher than average dietary iron intake who also took more than one multivitamin or iron supplement per day were 2.1 times more likely to be Parkinson's patients than those with lower than average dietary iron intake who took fewer than one daily multivitamin or iron supplement dose.
Those who had the highest level of iron in their diets - in the top 25 per cent - were 1.7 times more likely to be Parkinson's patients than those in the lowest 25 per cent of iron intake.
Foods rich in both iron and manganese include dark green leafy vegetables such as spinach as well as nuts, pulses and whole grains. Iron is also abundant in red meat, some fish and poultry.
According to the research, published in US journal Neurology, iron and manganese contributes to oxidative stress, a situation where cells release toxic substances called free radicals.
"Oxidative stress may cause degeneration of brain cells that produce dopamine - the same cells that are affected by Parkinson's disease," said Mr Checkoway.
But he said that the benefits of eating foods rich in iron and manganese and in taking multivitamins outweighed the risks of developing Parkinson's. Iron is essential for healthy blood and an iron deficiency can eventually lead to anaemia, which makes it difficult for blood to carry oxygen round the body.
"Our findings may improve understanding of how Parkinson's disease develops," he said. "But it's too early to make any recommendations about potential dietary changes."

UK readers particularly MALES below the age of 66 should seriously consider becoming a BLOOD DONOR If you start donating BEFORE you are 66 you can continue as they have scrapped the age limit so once you've started you can carry on. Blood donation is a useful way to lower iron levels. May also be useful for post menopausal women.
However the take home message should be to reduce the OXIDATION if iron by improving ANTI OXIDANT STATUS.

Co Q 10 may also help