On Thu, 1 Oct 1998, Ilya wrote:

> I am not sure what the source for this was, I believe it was Atkins
> new book on vitamins/minerals, though not sure. It said that inorganic
> iron may cause problems, while hemo iron (the type found in meet)
> does not appear to cause problems even in very large amounts.

As far as hemochromatosis is concerned, the situation is just the
opposite.  That is, it is heme iron from meat that causes the
problems.  Whether this is also the case in people who do not
have the disease is another question, and I don't know the
answer.

I remember reading (one of the articles on the iron-overload web
page) about a Scandinavian study that showed that men who donate
blood frequently have a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease,
comparable to that of menstruating women.  This was not just
about men with hemochromatosis.  The whole business is very
intriguing, especially as it provides another possible
explanation for the connection between red meat and cancer.

Todd Moody
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