<<Disclaimer: Verify this information before applying it to your situation.>>

Note:  I am not a physician.   I am reasonably well-informed on iron
overload because I happen to have had that condition and was forced to
learn about it, adamently insist on the appropriate lab tests and drag some
extreemly dogmatic and reluctant doctors to the diagnosis (unequivacobly
confirmed by MRI and liver biospy).    Reward:  I got treated in time to
fully regain my mobility and spared my brother from having any effects at
all.

I feel that the comments on iron overload need a little clairification.

RE:  <<" the iron is locked up.and the red blood cells cannot be created.
This is the 'anemia'... ">>

Iron overload is not A disease:  it is a class of diseases having a number
of different causes and the diseases can be different, depending on the
causes.

Perhaps Tom Hennessy is refering to a very specific and rare form of iron
overload.    In most forms of iron overload the excess iron is stored in
other parts of the body (primairily the liver) and the iron is only
TEMPORAIRILY stored in the blood (in the protein transferrin - this is the
storage protein that makes iron "inaccessible" to bacteria - until it's
saturation rises over about 60-70% when it's binding to iron becomes
progressively weaker, leaving totally accessible "free" iron after it
exceeds 100%).     The iron is rapidly transferred to long-term storage -
mostly the liver,  where it begins to do damage after accumulating large
amounts.    In addition to making iron more accessible to bacteria while
the transferrin saturation is high, the excess iron also inteferes with the
funtioning of macrophages.

BUT, in most forms of iron overload, the iron not only does not interfere
with the production of red blood cells, it makes it easier! (since iron is
usually the rate-limiting factor in red blood cell production)     The
treatment for iron overlad is to REMOVE blood, often up to two units a week
(which causes excess iron to be taken out of storage to make up the lost
hemoglobin).

In a relatively unusual form of iron overload (I believe it's a
non-geneitic form) the excess iron is stored in the reticuloendothelial
system where perhaps it might well intefere with red blood cell formation
(I don't have any references right now so can't check).    This form of
iron overload would presumeably have to be treated with chelation.
Iron supplemenation for such an anemia would be a deadly mistake, as would
transfusions.

RE:  <<"In meat.. iron is bound to heme.. which allows the body to store
much more
iron than it would 'normally' allow. This 'heme' allows the iron to
circumvent the bodies own built in process which disallows the absorption
and 'storage' of any more than 100 mcg/l of blood.. iron. This is the
stores in the tissues.. NOT.. blood.>>

The heme in meat does not allow the body to store more iron - it does not
affect storage at all.   It does allow the absorption of more iron in two
ways:  The percentage of iron absorbed from heme is much higher than the
percentage absorbed from other foods.    In addition,  the heme increases
the percentage or iron absorbed from other foods ingested at the same time.
BUT, in a "normal" individual (someone without a genetic tendecy to
iron overload) the regulatory mechanisms still operate and iron will not
accumulate to dangerous levels  (other than possibly increasing the danger
of heart  disease which some authorities think occurs with levels of
ferritin > 100, that's another discussion!).

BOTTOM LINE:   Iron overload is an extreemly dangerous, life-threatening
condition, but treatment is virtually 100% effective IF instituted early
enough.   If you've got it, see a specialist NOW.  (And if he doesn't think
iron overload is dangerous see a QUALIFIED specialist.)

RE: <<"Diabetes.. has been directly connected to iron overload and is treated
'successfully' with vitamin E....">>

THERE IS ONLY ONE TREATMENT FOR IRON OVERLOAD, WHATEVER THE CAUSE, AND THAT
IS REMOVAL OF THE EXCESS IRON.   The only ways currently known to do this
are phlebotomy (withdrawal of blood) and chelation.   Vitamin E may
possibly alleviate some of the pancreatic damage causing diabetes due to
iron overload,  possibly even, in some cases, enabling individuals to
reduce of eliminate need for exogenous insulin.   But, without removal of
excess iron and prevention of further overload, the damage will continue
and the diabetes will inevitably worsen (as will the other effects of iron
overload.)

RE:  the comments on iron and cancer:    RIGHT ON TARGET!     Probably when
therapeutic bleeding* was practiced centuries ago, it was (like many new
therapies!)  originally effective when done by people who understood the
indications for it's use.)   As is also typical, it was probably applied
relatively indescriminately when it "caught on" and then began to do more
harm than good.     Dr. William S Cooley developed what was probably an
effective cure for some forms of cancer many years ago (by the injection of
toxins from inactivated bacteria)  which probably worked in part by making
iron inaccessible to the tumour.    Dr. Cooley got the Semmilweis
treatment, probably because, at that time, there was no theoretical
explanation for his treatment  (now there are a number of explanations).
There have always been (and still are!) many who practice medicine more as
a religion than as a science.

For further information on iron see my posts :
4/16/96  "Warning on iron supplements"
 4/24/96  "Warning on iron supplements....."
4/29/96 "Celiac with iron overload.."
5/9/96  "Gluten free supplements/warning on iron overload"
_______________
*which had a number of therapeutic effects in addition to the removal of iron