# Is iron in food as dangerous as this article suggests? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [February 10, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414 "2012-02-10T15:15:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/it_s_not_rocket_surgery/32/312_2.png) [@It\_s\_Not\_Rocket\_Surgery](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/It_s_Not_Rocket_Surgery)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/1 "2012-02-10T15:15:59Z")
A friend of mine has posted [this article warning of the dangers of iron in the food supply.](http://raypeat.com/articles/articles/iron-dangers.shtml) How true is this stuff? Is there something out there that refutes the claims this guy makes? ---
**Author:** ![DarrenS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/977dab/32.png) [@DarrenS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DarrenS)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/2 "2012-02-10T15:36:14Z")
[Here’s](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm) what the NIH has to say about iron in the diet. From the article you linked: > [@](#): > > A few years ago, someone demonstrated that they could pick up a certain breakfast cereal with a magnet, because of the added iron :dubious: He understands that the iron in breakfast cereal isn’t ferromagnetic, doesn’t he? Please tell me he does. It’s like those ridiculous claims of small magnets worn on the wrist being able to affect the iron in our blood. ---
**Author:** ![Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e8c25b/32.png) [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Really_Not_All_That_Bright)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/3 "2012-02-10T15:36:26Z")
I guess the article is mostly true, in a sense; it begins by calling iron a “potentially toxic heavy metal”, which is true, and blathering about how too much is harmful. That’s also true. What the article doesn’t mention is that virtually all vitamins and minerals beneficial to organic tissue are “potentially toxic” in sufficient quantities. Hell, oxygen is corrosive. ETA: all base iron is ferromagnetic. That includes the tiny shavings added to fortified cereals. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/4 "2012-02-10T15:53:15Z")
> [@DarrenS](#): > > [Here’s](http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002422.htm) what the NIH has to say about iron in the diet. > > From the article you linked::dubious: He understands that the iron in breakfast cereal isn’t ferromagnetic, doesn’t he? Please tell me he does. It’s like those ridiculous claims of small magnets worn on the wrist being able to affect the iron in our blood. He’s referring to a minor scandal in the 70s where it was discovered that Total cereal added iron filings in order to increase the amount of iron. When you soaked the cereal, the filings came loose and could be picked up with a magnet. The Master says[this is not an urban legend](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/676/do-iron-fortified-cereals-really-contain-iron-filings) and the FDA allowed it at the time of the column (1990). Not that this brings any validity to the claims. In general, excess iron is excreted harmlessly (the exception is hemochromatosis, which is rare). ---
**Author:** ![Blaster\_Master](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/cab0a1/32.png) [@Blaster\_Master](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blaster_Master)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/5 "2012-02-10T16:19:16Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > He’s referring to a minor scandal in the 70s where it was discovered that Total cereal added iron filings in order to increase the amount of iron. When you soaked the cereal, the filings came loose and could be picked up with a magnet. > > The Master says[this is not an urban legend](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/676/do-iron-fortified-cereals-really-contain-iron-filings) and the FDA allowed it at the time of the column (1990). > > Not that this brings any validity to the claims. In general, excess iron is excreted harmlessly (the exception is hemochromatosis, which is rare). Agreed, definitely not an urban legend, I remember seeing a demonstration as a kid, probably around the time of the linked article, on either Beakman’s World or Bill Nye where they crushed up the cereal and ran a magnet through it and picked up some iron shavings. I’d try to find a video but youtube is blocked at work. I also agree that while the article seems to be accurate, it’s a little sensationalistic because it’s focusing on the negative affects. ---
**Author:** ![njtt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ecd19e/32.png) [@njtt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/njtt)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/6 "2012-02-10T16:41:25Z")
It would certainly be dangerous to have a diet with no iron at all in it. ---
**Author:** ![Sailboat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sailboat/32/461_2.png) [@Sailboat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sailboat)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/7 "2012-02-10T17:07:28Z")
> [@Really\_Not\_All\_That\_Bright](#): > > I guess the article is mostly true, in a sense; it begins by calling iron a “potentially toxic heavy metal”, which is true, and blathering about how too much is harmful. That’s also true. > > What the article doesn’t mention is that virtually all vitamins and minerals beneficial to organic tissue are “potentially toxic” in sufficient quantities. Hell, oxygen is corrosive. Iron is even more dangerous when it’s absorbed by the body kinetically. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Machine\_Elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@Machine\_Elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Machine_Elf)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2012, 6:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/8 "2012-02-10T18:31:56Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > In general, excess iron is excreted harmlessly (the exception is hemochromatosis, which is rare). Unless you eat a lot of it. But it’s got to be _really_ a lot. Little kids who scarfed down handfuls of tasty vitamin pills when their parents weren’t looking have been known to die from [iron poisoning.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_poisoning) ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/9 "2012-02-11T18:20:01Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > He’s referring to a minor scandal in the 70s where it was discovered that Total cereal added iron filings in order to increase the amount of iron. When you soaked the cereal, the filings came loose and could be picked up with a magnet. > > The Master says[this is not an urban legend](http://www.straightdope.com/columns/read/676/do-iron-fortified-cereals-really-contain-iron-filings) and the FDA allowed it at the time of the column (1990). > > Not that this brings any validity to the claims. In general, excess iron is excreted harmlessly (the exception is hemochromatosis, which is rare). As far as I know, Total still adds iron this way. I don’t think there is anything problematic about it. The stomach acid will quickly take care of it. If it was ever scandalous, it’s because of ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![KneeSid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dec6dc/32.png) [@KneeSid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneeSid)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/10 "2012-02-11T19:24:18Z")
I read that you can also get iron in your diet by using a cast iron skillet. I don’t know if it’s true, anyone??😕 ---
**Author:** ![TheChileanBlob](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thechileanblob/32/435_2.png) [@TheChileanBlob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheChileanBlob)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/11 "2012-02-11T19:47:29Z")
> [@KneeSid](#): > > I read that you can also get iron in your diet by using a cast iron skillet. I don’t know if it’s true, anyone??😕 [True](http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/does-cooking-cast-iron-pots-and-pans-add-iron-our-food). ---
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2012, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/12 "2012-02-11T20:27:33Z")
There is some work that documents high levels of markers of high iron (ferritin) being associated with type 2 diabetes and some interesting work that in those with high ferritin [regular phlebotomy](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17391316), lowering their iron stores, may increase insulin sensitivity. OTOH it may be that the high ferritin is more a marker of inflammation and [not a sign of iron overload](http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2570219/?tool=pubmed). > [@](#): > > Elevated ferritin levels in our patients seemed not to be due to iron. As elevated insulin C- peptide level is a marker of hyperinsulinemia and indirectly insulin resistance, insulin resistance might be the cause of elevated ferritin levels in our patients, either directly or due to the steatosis itself. > > Patients treated with phlebotomy experienced reduction in s-ferritin, but after a while the level gradually increased. Those who changed lifestyle (weight management, increased physical activity) seemed to experience more stable s-ferritin reduction. This has to be evaluated in further studies … Meanwhile [a randomized control trial](http://jama.ama-assn.org/content/297/6/603.long) in those with peripheral arterial disease failed to show any across the board benefit of reducing iron stores with phlebotomy. Still it suggested some benefit in younger patients. > [@](#): > > Accumulation of iron in excess of physiologic requirements has been implicated in the risk of several chronic diseases through increased iron-catalyzed free radical–mediated oxidative stress.1​-8 Common diseases of aging that have been attributed to this mechanism include cardiovascular disease and cancer.1​, 5, 8​-14 … > > … The hypothesis that accumulated iron contributes to disease risk through iron-catalyzed free radical–mediated damage to critical biomolecules and through altered cellular function rests on secure biochemical grounds.1​-8,52​ However, the relationship between iron and disease has, as aptly expressed by Wood,16 remained “in hiding” because of inconsistent findings between clinical studies having variable experimental design.10​-14,16​-17 … > > … Preplanned analyses of the primary (all-cause mortality) and secondary (death plus nonfatal MI and stroke) end points performed on the entire study cohort showed no effect of iron reduction. However, there was a significant interaction with age (1 of 5 prespecified biological stratifying factors), suggesting that a beneficial effect might exist in younger patients, an observation that coincides with findings of others. … So it _may_ be true that higher iron accumulation is associated with some adverse outcomes in some people. Not a bad rationalization, if one is needed, to donate blood regularly! And certainly males and post-menopausal women do not need to go out of their way to take in more iron than comes their way in a regular balanced diet; more is not better. ---
**Author:** ![Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/46a35a/32.png) [@Tim\_T-Bonham.net](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tim_T-Bonham.net)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/13 "2012-02-12T00:03:55Z")
> [@KneeSid](#): > > I read that you can also get iron in your diet by using a cast iron skillet. I don’t know if it’s true, anyone??😕 I had a neighbor who smarted off to his wife, and got a cast iron skillet upside his head. Don’t recall any particular effect on his diet, though. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/14 "2012-02-12T00:21:16Z")
> [@Blaster\_Master](#): > > Agreed, definitely not an urban legend, I remember seeing a demonstration as a kid, probably around the time of the linked article, on either Beakman’s World or Bill Nye where they crushed up the cereal and ran a magnet through it and picked up some iron shavings. I’d try to find a video but youtube is blocked at work. it was Mr. Wizard’s World. At least when I saw it. > [@Really Not All That Bright](#): > > I guess the article is mostly true, in a sense; it begins by calling iron a “potentially toxic heavy metal”, which is true, and blathering about how too much is harmful. That’s also true. > > What the article doesn’t mention is that virtually all vitamins and minerals beneficial to organic tissue are “potentially toxic” in sufficient quantities. Hell, oxygen is corrosive. quite so. I challenge the author of the linked article to go eat a small piece of polar bear liver. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/15 "2012-02-12T01:41:51Z")
I’ve always wondered if you had a huge breakfast of Total, would the iron mess with an MRI scan? ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/16 "2012-02-12T20:01:15Z")
The first red flag to go up when reading the article linked in the OP is when the author talks about too much iron being “toxic”. Of course it is (too much of _anything_, including oxygen and water) is toxic. but I don’t see anything in his article that establishes that normal diets cause iron toxicity or that iron-fortified foods are dangerous. Another red flag was the statement that receiving blood transfusions damages immune function (supposedly because of the iron). If you get lots and lots of transfusions, over time you can get iron buildup in the body which could damage organs, but immune dysfunction is not something for which transfusions should be blamed (potential hemolysis or other immune _reactions_ from incompatible blood are another story). It would not surprise me if blood donors are healthier than the general population, but I think he’s confusing correlation with causation. If you’re in good health and community-minded you’re more likely to donate blood than someone who feels lousy because of various chronic conditions. The article’s references are meant to impress by sheer number, but they are a motley collection that mostly seem irrelevant to the points he’s trying to make. Lastly, I looked up Ray Peat’s background on his site, and while he has a degree in Science (biology), I don’t see expert qualifications in human physiology, medicine or nutrition (though he styles himself as a nutrition consultant). He lists various teaching gigs, including one at a naturopathic college where they probably eat this sort of stuff up. ---
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/17 "2012-02-12T22:05:10Z")
A bit of a hijack, but has anything come of the theory that the ancient Romans suffered from lead poisoning? (The excess lead came from lead cooking vessels and wine stored in lead vessels). I have heard this from time to time. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/18 "2012-02-12T22:11:03Z")
I see that Ray Peat has churned out many, lengthy articles on a variety of subjects which are available on his website. Looking at a couple of them (on breast cancer and coconut oil) I see more red flags pointing to someone who is not only prone to making unsupportable conclusions but may be deep into the woo. For instance, on breast cancer he says: _“Radiation, estrogen, and a variety of chemical pollutants are known to be the major causes of breast cancer, but the efforts of the cancer establishment have been directed toward denying that these avoidable agents are the cause of the great increase in breast cancer during the last several decades.”_ Um no, radiation and “a variety of chemical pollutants” are **not** established major causes of breast cancer (the pollutant theory is especially weak at this time); estrogen (especially if taken after menopause) has been shown to increase breast cancer risk). It is also inaccurate to claim a “great increase in breast cancer during the last several decades”. There was a jump in the breast cancer incidence rate during the early to mid '80s (tied to greater use of mammographic screening which picked up small cancers earlier than usual) but the overall incidence rate has been fairly stable since then. The stuff about “the cancer establishment…denying” his theories about breast cancer causation suggests Ray is into “They Don’t Want You To Know” paranoia of the sort that pervades alternative medicine/woo mythology. His article on coconut oil, apart from its unscientific claims, mentions that he wanted to write a book on the subject but felt that commercial interests would suppress it. :eek: It all sounds like a bad case of crank magnetism in action. There may be valid points buried somewhere in all those articles, but I’d be loath to take them at face value. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2012, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/19 "2012-02-12T22:50:07Z")
> [@](#): > > It would not surprise me if blood donors are healthier than the general population, but I think he’s confusing correlation with causation. If you’re in good health and community-minded you’re more likely to donate blood than someone who feels lousy because of various chronic conditions. Especially since they’ll turn you away for a number of health problems. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2012, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414/20 "2012-02-13T00:21:15Z")
If anyone’s interested in iron metabolism, I’ll just throw in that the body has no way of selectively excreting excess iron. That is, there’s no system that can detect “Hey! I’ve got too much iron kicking around. Best get the ol’ kidneys on the job.” We all naturally lose iron over time in our poop and/or by bleeding (especially menstruating women). Instead, iron levels are regulated entirely on the uptake end of things. You have a protein that senses iron levels in the blood and sends a signal to other proteins on the gut side of the cell that tells them if we’re low on iron or if we have enough. This sensing protein is what’s mutated in hereditary hemochromatosis, incidentally. The mutation prevents it from being properly positioned in the cell membrane, which results in a lower than normal level of signal going to the uptake proteins, so your guts are constantly in a “CRAP WE NEED MORE IRON NOW!!!” mode. Over several decades, patients build up enough iron to start causing damage to the liver and heart. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-iron-in-food-as-dangerous-as-this-article-suggests/612414.md?page=2)