Guest guest Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Myth: Meat is a " good " source of iron The false claim is often made by meat-industry propagandists that meat is a " good " source of iron. Original data from USDA #8. Source Iron content mg/100g edible Source Iron content mg/100g edible dulse 150 rye grain 3.7 kelp 100 raisin 3.5 rice bran 19.4 purslane 3.5 rice polish 16.1 wheat, soft winter 3.5 wheat bran 14.9 Brazilnut 3.4 pumpkin seed 11.2 filbert 3.4 squash seed 11.2 pilinut 3.4 sesame seed 10.5 Jerusalem artichoke 3.4 wheat germ 9.4 wheat, hard winter 3.4 Irish moss 8.9 chestnut, dry 3.3 soybean, dry 8.4 coconut, dry 3.3 pigeonpea, dry 8.0 beet greens 3.3 white bean, dry 7.8 Swiss chard 3.2 lima bean, dry 7.8 English walnut 3.1 hot red pepper, dry 7.8 dandelion greens 3.1 mung bean, dry 7.7 spinach 3.1 pistacio nut 7.3 wheat, hard spring 3.1 sunflower seed 7.1 mustard greens 3.0 broadbean, dry 7.1 white wheat 3.0 red bean, dry 6.9 dates 3.0 chickpea, dry 6.9 fig, dried 3.0 butternut 6.8 banana, dried 2.8 lentile, dry 6.8 tamarind 2.8 millet 6.8 Lima bean, fresh 2.8 pinto bean, dry 6.4 soybean, fresh 2.8 agar 6.3 fennel 2.7 parsley 6.2 kale leaves 2.7 peach, dry 6.0 barley, Scotch pearl 2.7 black walnut 6.0 New Zealand spinach 2.6 cowpea, dry 5.8 persimmon 2.5 apricot, dry 5.5 swamp cabbage 2.5 longan, dry 5.4 sesame seed, hulled 2.4 pinon nut 5.2 hickory nut 2.4 pea, dry 5.1 pecan 2.4 almond 4.7 cow pea, fresh 2.3 prune dry 4.4 kale, leaves/stems 2.2 sorghum grain 4.4 broadbean, fresh 2.2 durim wheat 4.3 peanut 2.1 wild rice 4.2 Macadamia nut 2.0 prune, dry 3.9 lettuce, Boston bibb 2.0 cashew nut 3.8 BEEF- PRIME GRADE 2.0 <<<<< http://www.ecologos.org/iron.html So, when we think beyond the propaganda and actually look at the facts, we can readily determine that yet another horrendous lie is being propagated by the meat-industry advertising campaign. Here, 81 common plant-based foods have more, or the same amount of, iron than beef. Any kind of vegetarian diet will provide ample iron. Worse yet, the iron in animal flesh is heme (blood) iron and is now know to be a risk factor in cancer and cardiovascular diseases. The Heme Iron Problem Heme (blood) iron, cancer, and cardiovascular disease. Iron encourages production of free radicals which can damage DNA and presumably increase cancer risk. In a study of over 14,000 individuals, high iron intake and high iron body stores were both positively linked to the risk of colon cancer. Higher levels of iron were associated with higher incidence of colon polyps, possible forerunners of colon tumors. However, cancer patients themselves had low levels of stored iron, indicating that cancer itself can deplete iron stores. [1] Controversy has surrounded the question as to whether too much iron in your diet raises your risk for heart disease. A new study from the Harvard University School of Public Health brings new insight to the debate. Lasting for 4 years, this research involved more than 50,000 male health professionals. It was found that total iron intake was not associated with heart disease risk. But the source of the iron came was the principle factor. High levels of heme iron raised risk for heart disease twofold. Heme iron is the type of iron found in meat, chicken and fish. Plant foods contain non-heme iron which appears to not be associated with risk for heart attack. Traditionally, many nutritionists used to consider non-heme iron to be inferior to the iron found in animal products, because non-heme iron is somewhat less well absorbed. But new evidence suggests that non-heme iron seems to be preferable. When the body is low in iron, it can increase absorption of non-heme iron, and it can reduce adsorption when it already has sufficient amounts. The heme iron in meats tends to pass quickly right through the adsorption mechanism, thus entering the blood stream whether it is needed or not. Since vegetarians generally have adequate iron intake, it is clear that non-heme iron can easily meet nutritional needs. Also, plant iron doesn't create the health risks of heme iron. Iron increases heart disease risks because heme iron acts as a pro-oxidant, causing LDL-cholesterol -- the 'bad' cholesterol -- to react with oxygen. This reaction is involved in the formation of plaques in the arteries and therefore increases one's risk of cardiovascular problems. [2] [1] Nelson, Davis, Suffer, Sobin, Kikeenddl, Bowen. Body iron stores and risk of colonic neoplasia. J Natl Canc Inst 1994; 86:455-60 [2] Ascherio, Willett, Rimm, Giovannucci, Stampger. Dietary iron intake and risk of coronary disease among men. Circulation 1994; 89:969-74 -------------------- Annals of Family Medicine 2:139-144 (2004) The Mortality Risk of Elevated Serum Transferrin Saturation and Consumption of Dietary Iron Arch G. Mainous, III, PhD1, Brian Wells, MD1, Peter J. Carek, MD, MS1, James M. Gill, MD, MPH2 and Mark E. Geesey, MS1 1 Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 2 Department of Family & Community Medicine, Christiana Care Health System, Wilmington, Del CORRESPONDING AUTHOR: Arch G. Mainous III, PhD, Department of Family Medicine, Medical University of South Carolina, PO Box 250192, 295 Calhoun Street, Charleston, SC 29425, mainouag BACKGROUND Recent data shows an increased mortality risk associated with elevated transferrin saturation. Because ingestion of dietary iron may contribute to iron overload in persons with elevated transferrin saturation, we investigated the relationship between elevated transferrin saturation, ingestion of dietary iron and red meat, and mortality. METHODS This 12-year cohort study used data from the second National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1976–1980 (NHANES II) and the NHANES II Mortality Study 1992. Population estimates were based on 9,229 persons aged 35 to 70 years at baseline. A Cox proportional hazards analysis was performed based on levels of transferrin saturation, intake of dietary iron, and intake of red meat. The analysis was conducted while controlling for demographics, severity of illness, body mass index, and smoking status. RESULTS Unadjusted analyses indicated that those who had a high transferrin saturation and reported high dietary iron or red meat consumption had an increased mortality risk. The adjusted survival analysis indicated that persons with elevated transferrin saturation who reported high dietary iron intake had a hazard ratio for death of 2.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.39–6.04) compared with those with normal transferrin saturation levels and reported low dietary iron intake. Persons who had a high transferrin saturation and reported high red meat consumption also had an increased hazard ratio for death (2.26; 95% CI, 1.45–3.52) compared with those who had normal transferrin saturation and reported low red meat consumption. CONCLUSIONS Ingestion of large quantities of dietary iron and red meat in persons with high transferrin saturation is associated with an increase in mortality. Simple dietary restrictions may reduce the mortality risk associated with high transferrin saturation. ----------------------- Eur J Haematol. 2002 Jun; 68(6): 332-40. Iron status in Danish men 1984-94: a cohort comparison of changes in iron stores and the prevalence of iron deficiency and iron overload. Milman N, Byg KE, Ovesen L, Kirchhoff M, Jurgensen KS. Department of Medicine B, Rigshospitalet, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark. nils.mil BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: From 1954 to 1987, flour in Denmark was fortified with 30 mg carbonyl iron per kg. This mandatory fortification was abolished in 1987. The aim of this study was to compare iron status in Danish men before and after abolition of iron fortification. METHODS: Iron status (serum ferritin, haemoglobin), was assessed in population surveys in Copenhagen County during 1983-84 comprising 1324 Caucasian men (1024 non-blood-donors, 300 blood donors) and in 1993-94 comprising 1288 Caucasian men (1103 non-blood-donors, 185 donors), equally distributed in age cohorts of 40, 50, 60 and 70 yr. RESULTS: In the 1984 survey median serum ferritin values in the four age cohorts in non-blood-donors were 136, 141, 133 and 111 microg/L, and in the 1994 survey 177, 173, 186 and 148 microg L(-1), respectively. The difference was significant in all age groups (P<0.001). There was no significant difference between the two surveys concerning the prevalence of small iron stores (ferritin 16-32 micro g L(-1)), depleted iron stores (ferritin <16 microg L(-1)) or iron-deficiency anaemia (ferritin <13 microg L(-1) and Hb <5th percentile for iron-replete men). However, from 1984 to 1994, the prevalence of iron overload (ferritin >300 microg L(-1)) increased from 11.3% to 18.9% (P<0.0001). During the study period there was an increase in body mass index (P<0.0001), alcohol consumption (P<0.03) and use of non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) (P<0.0001), and a decrease in the use of vitamin-mineral supplements (P<0.04) and in the prevalence of tobacco smoking (P<0.0001). In contrast, median ferritin in blood donors showed a significant fall from 1984 to 1994 (103 vs. 74 micro g L(-1), P<0.02). CONCLUSION: Abolition of iron fortification reduced the iron content of the Danish diet by an average of 0.24 mg MJ(-1), and the median dietary iron intake in men from 17 to 12 mg d(-1). From 1984 to 1994, body iron stores and the prevalence of iron overload in Danish men increased significantly, despite the abolition of food iron fortification. The reason appears to be changes in dietary habits, with a lower consumption of dairy products and eggs, which inhibit iron absorption, and a higher consumption of alcohol, meat, and poultry, containing haem iron and enhancing iron absorption. The high prevalence of iron overload in men may constitute a health risk. PMID: 12225390 -------------------------- Am J Clin Nutr. 2003 Oct;78(4):782-9. Milk folate but not milk iron concentrations may be inadequate for some infants in a rural farming community in San Mateo, Capulhuac, Mexico. Villalpando S, Latulippe ME, Rosas G, Irurita MJ, Picciano MF, O'Connor DL. Basic Nutrition Division, Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica, Cuernavaca, Mexico. BACKGROUND: We were interested in identifying possible nutritional reasons for growth faltering among breastfed infants in the rural farming community of San Mateo, Capulhuac, Mexico (2800 m above sea level). OBJECTIVE: We examined the prevalence of inadequate iron and folate status among lactating Otomi women and determined to what extent their iron and folate nutriture influenced the milk concentrations of these nutrients. DESIGN: Lactating women (n = 71) provided blood and milk samples and dietary information at a mean (+/- SD) of 22 +/- 13 d postpartum. Blood indexes included hemoglobin, hematocrit, serum iron, total-iron-binding capacity, ferritin, transferrin receptor, mean cell volume, plasma folate, and erythrocyte folate. RESULTS: Approximately 62% and 58% of the women had nutritional anemia defined as a hemoglobin concentration Milk iron content was unrelated to maternal iron status, and the milk provided more than adequate amounts of iron to the infants. In contrast, the infants' predicted folate intake was approximately 45 micro g/d, or 70% of the current recommended intake. CONCLUSION: Milk folate concentrations in Otomi women are low and may not support optimal folate status in all breastfed infants. PMID: 14522737 -------------- Am J Physiol Gastrointest Liver Physiol. 2003 Aug;285(2):G354-G359. Epub 2003 Apr 30. New method to study oxidative damage and antioxidants in the human small bowel: effects of iron application. Troost FJ, Saris WH, Haenen GR, Bast A, Brummer RJ. Dept. of Human Biology, Nutrition and Toxicology Research Institute Maastricht, Maastricht University, PO Box 616, 6200 MD Maastricht, The Netherlands (E-mail f.troost Iron may induce oxidative damage to the intestinal mucosa by its catalyzing role in the formation of highly reactive hydroxyl radicals. This study aimed to determine iron-induced oxidative damage provoked by a single clinical dosage of ferrous sulfate and to elucidate the antioxidant defense mechanisms in the human small intestine in vivo. A double-lumen perfusion tube was positioned orogastrically into a 40-cm segment of the proximal small intestine in six healthy volunteers (25 +/- 5 yr). The segment was perfused with saline and subsequently with saline containing 80 mg iron as ferrous sulfate at a rate of 10 ml/min. Intestinal fluid samples were collected at 15-min intervals. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances concentrations as an indicator of lipid peroxidation increased significantly from 0.07 microM (range, 0-0.33 microM) during saline perfusion to 3.35 microM (range, 1.19-7.27 microM) during iron perfusion (P < 0.05). Nonprotein antioxidant capacity increased significantly from 474 microM (range, 162-748 microM) to 1,314 microM (range, 674-1,542 microM) (P < 0.05). These data show that a single dosage of ferrous sulfate induces oxidative damage and the subsequent release of an antioxidant in the small intestine in vivo in healthy volunteers. PMID: 12724133 --------------- Journal of the American Dietetic Association, May 2003 v103 i5 p601(1) Iron fulfillment possible through vegetarian lifestyle. Damon Brown. Full Text: COPYRIGHT 2003 American Dietetic Association Iron status is not an unusual concern for current as well as potential vegetarians since meat, a strong iron source, must be replaced by other foods. In the previous piece researchers Wells, Haub, Fluckey, Williams, Chernoff, and Campbell compared the iron status of older men consuming a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) diet to those consuming a beef diet. The 21 men, aged 59 to 78 years and having a BMI range of 24 to 33 kg/[m.sup.2], were observed over 12 weeks while resistive training. These results suggest that a beef-containing diet may better maintain or improve hematological indexes during resistive training, " the researchers say, adding that it " should be noted that the [v]egitarian group's hematological profile was maintained within normal ranges and did not decline over time with resistance training and continued consumption of a meat-free diet. " " That's basically the take home message: vegetarian diets aren't automatically going to lead to poor iron status, " says Enette Larson-Myer PhD, assistant professor of Health and Performance Enhancement at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA. However, Larson-Myer says that the research does give a word of advice for vegetarians. " I think they suggest that vegetarians need to be a little bit more cautious in their iron choices or in the foods that they consume along with their iron sources. " For example, she says vegetarians should add a glass of citrus juice or another organic acid during the meal to facilitate iron absorption and avoid tea or other drinks that inhibit iron absorption. Larson-Myer, who is also Director of the Pennington Nutrition and Exercise Lab, says that " when working with vegetarian athletes, always urge them to increase a variety of good sources of iron: cereals, organic acids, legumes... to help insure that any iron in that meal facilitates absorption. Reed Mangels PhD, RD, FADA, Nutrition Advisor for the nonprofit Baltimore, MD-based Vegetarian Resource Group, found two major points in the results. " One, it would reassure dietitians that people with vegetarian diets with adequate iron can maintain a normal hematological profile. Secondly, that a vegetarian diet may offer some advantages to older men because of lower fat intake on this partially self-selecting vegetarian diet group. " For Mangels, whose organization publishes the quarterly magazine The Vegetarian Journal, it is a comfort to hear positive results regarding vegetarians and iron. " As you look at this study, it's interesting how everything really stayed within the normal range. It's reassuring, " Mangels says. " There's this old myth that vegetarians don't get enough iron and can't absorb it as well, and here's this research saying that both [vegetarian and non-vegetarian] groups are getting the iron they need. " ----------------- J Nutr 2003 May;133(5 Suppl 2):1700S-1708S Iron and oxidative stress in pregnancy. Casanueva E, Viteri FE Instituto Nacional de Perinatologia, Mexico, DF, Mexico. Pregnancy, mostly because of the mitochondria-rich placenta, is a condition that favors oxidative stress. Transitional metals, especially iron, which is particularly abundant in the placenta, are important in the production of free radicals. Protective mechanisms against free radical generation and damage increase throughout pregnancy and protect the fetus, which, however, is subjected to a degree of oxidative stress. Oxidative stress peaks by the second trimester of pregnancy, ending what appears to be a vulnerable period for fetal health and gestational progress. Conditions restricted to pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension, insulin resistance and diabetes, exhibit exaggerated indications of free radical damage. Antioxidants as well as avoidance of iron excess ameliorate maternal and early fetal damage. In rats both iron deficiency and excess result in free radical mitochondrial damage. Estimates of gestational iron requirements and of the proportion of iron absorbed from different iron supplemental doses suggest that with present supplementation schemes the intestinal mucosal cells are constantly exposed to unabsorbed iron excess and oxidative stress. Unpublished work carried out in Mexico City with nonanemic women at midpregnancy indicates that 60 mg/d of iron increases the risk of hemoconcentration, low birth weight and premature birth and produces a progressive decline in plasma copper. These risks are not observed in women supplemented with 120 mg iron once or twice per week. Studies on the influence of iron supplementation schemes on oxidative stress are needed. [Note: the Life Extension Foundation removed iron from their supplements when information of this type first became available - ljf.] PMID: 12730487 -------------- J Am Diet Assoc 2003 May;103(5):594-601 Comparisons of vegetarian and beef-containing diets on hematological indexes and iron stores during a period of resistive training in older men. Wells AM, Haub MD, Fluckey J, Williams DK, Chernoff R, Campbell WW. General Clinical Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that older men who consumed a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) diet would develop a lower iron status compared with older men who consumed a beef-containing diet during a period of resistive training (RT). DESIGN: Experimental, repeated measures study. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one healthy men aged 59 to 78 years, with a BMI range of 24 to 33 kg/m(2), completed the study. INTERVENTION: All men consumed a vegetarian diet for 2 weeks (baseline). After this, the men were randomly assigned to one of two dietary groups. Eleven men consumed a beef-containing diet, and 10 men continued to consume a vegetarian diet for 12 weeks. During this time all subjects participated in RT three days per week, designated as RT1 to RT12. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum ferritin and serum iron concentrations, transferrin saturation, transferrin receptor, total iron binding capacity, and selected hematological variables, as well as selected nutrient intakes and estimated iron bioavailability from three-day diet records, were determined at baseline, RT5, and RT12. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: A general linear model repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of group, time, and group x time interactions for iron status and dietary data. RESULTS: Total iron intake was not different between the two groups; however, the beef group had a three to four times greater intake of bioavailable iron (P<.01) than the vegetarian group. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and transferrin receptor were not significantly different between the beef and vegetarian groups, or changed over time with RT. Serum ferritin decreased over time in both the beef and vegetarian groups during RT (P<.01). Re-introduction of beef into the diets of the beef group increased hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit compared with the vegetarian group during the 12 weeks of RT (group x time, P<.05). These changes were within clinically normal limits. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Older men who consume a beef-containing, higher-bioavailable-iron diet, compared with a vegetarian, lower-bioavailable-iron diet, have an increased hematological profile during a 12-week period of RT. Older men who consume either a beef-containing or a vegetarian diet maintain a hematological profile within clinically normal limits during 12 weeks of RT. PMID: 12728219 ----------------- J Am Diet Assoc 2003 May;103(5):594-601 Comparisons of vegetarian and beef-containing diets on hematological indexes and iron stores during a period of resistive training in older men. Wells AM, Haub MD, Fluckey J, Williams DK, Chernoff R, Campbell WW. General Clinical Research Center, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, USA. OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that older men who consumed a vegetarian (lacto-ovo) diet would develop a lower iron status compared with older men who consumed a beef-containing diet during a period of resistive training (RT). DESIGN: Experimental, repeated measures study. SUBJECTS: Twenty-one healthy men aged 59 to 78 years, with a BMI range of 24 to 33 kg/m(2), completed the study. INTERVENTION: All men consumed a vegetarian diet for 2 weeks (baseline). After this, the men were randomly assigned to one of two dietary groups. Eleven men consumed a beef-containing diet, and 10 men continued to consume a vegetarian diet for 12 weeks. During this time all subjects participated in RT three days per week, designated as RT1 to RT12. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Serum ferritin and serum iron concentrations, transferrin saturation, transferrin receptor, total iron binding capacity, and selected hematological variables, as well as selected nutrient intakes and estimated iron bioavailability from three-day diet records, were determined at baseline, RT5, and RT12. STATISTICAL ANALYSES: A general linear model repeated-measures ANOVA was used to examine the effects of group, time, and group x time interactions for iron status and dietary data. RESULTS: Total iron intake was not different between the two groups; however, the beef group had a three to four times greater intake of bioavailable iron (P<.01) than the vegetarian group. Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, transferrin saturation, and transferrin receptor were not significantly different between the beef and vegetarian groups, or changed over time with RT. [so where is the effect of the alleged " greater intake of bioavailable iron " ? - ljf] Serum ferritin decreased over time in both the beef and vegetarian groups during RT (P<.01). Re-introduction of beef into the diets of the beef group increased hemoglobin concentration and hematocrit compared with the vegetarian group during the 12 weeks of RT (group x time, P<.05). These changes were within clinically normal limits. APPLICATIONS/CONCLUSIONS: Older men who consume a beef-containing, higher-bioavailable-iron diet, compared with a vegetarian, lower-bioavailable-iron diet, have an increased hematological profile during a 12-week period of RT. Older men who consume either a beef-containing or a vegetarian diet maintain a hematological profile within clinically normal limits during 12 weeks of RT. PMID: 12728219 ----------------- Nutr Rev 2002 May;60(5 Pt 1):127-34 Moving toward a plant-based diet: are iron and zinc at risk? Hunt JR. USDA-ARS Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center, ND 58202, USA. With reduced intake of meat and increased intake of phytate-containing legumes and whole grains, movement toward plant-based diets reduces dietary iron and zinc absorption. Although vegetarians have lower iron stores, adverse health effects of lower iron and zinc absorption have not been demonstrated with varied, plant-based diets consumed in developed countries. Improved assessment methods and monitoring are needed to detect and prevent possible iron and zinc deficiency with plant-based diets. PMID: 12030275 -------------------- Am J Clin Nutr 1999 Sep;70(3):353-8 Dietary intake and iron status of Australian vegetarian women. Ball MJ, Bartlett MA. School of Nutrition and Public Health, Deakin University, Burwood, Australia. mhbkr BACKGROUND: Despite the possible overall health benefits of a vegetarian diet, there is concern that some vegetarians and infrequent meat eaters, particularly females, may have inadequate iron status because of low or no heme-iron intakes. OBJECTIVE: The objective was to investigate the nutritional intake and iron status of vegetarian women. DESIGN: The nutritional intakes of 50 free-living vegetarian women aged 18-45 y and 24 age-matched omnivorous control women were assessed by using 12-d weighed dietary records. Iron status was assessed by measuring hemoglobin and serum ferritin concentrations. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between mean (+/-SD) daily iron intakes of vegetarians and omnivores (10.7 +/- 4.4 and 9.9 +/- 2.9 mg, respectively), although heme-iron intakes were low in the vegetarians. Vegetarians had significantly lower intakes of protein (P < 0.01), saturated fat (P < 0.01), and cholesterol (P < 0.001), and significantly higher intakes of dietary fiber (P < 0.001) and vitamin C (P < 0.05). Mean serum ferritin concentrations were significantly lower (P = 0.025) in vegetarians (25.0 +/- 16.2 microg/L) than in omnivores (45.5 +/- 42.5 microg/L). However, similar numbers of vegetarians (18%) and omnivores (13%) had serum ferritin concentrations <12 microg/L, which is a value often used as an indicator of low iron stores. Hemoglobin concentrations were not significantly different. CONCLUSION: It is important that both vegetarian and omnivorous women maintain an adequate iron status and follow dietary practices that enhance iron absorption. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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