.  It may also be true that blood loss due
>to internal parasites was substantial.

>Todd Moody
>[log in to unmask]

What an interesting idea! I have some slight experience on an unpublished
study that addressed the question of parasite load and various types of
anemia. Some parasites, prominently including hookworm, cause a profound
iron deficient anemia. In our study, it was correlated with
poverty(shoelessness and poor sanitation) We also had a small number of
riverine tribesmen to study. Their load was much less, although hookworm was
sometimes present.

I think that warm winters, and dense continuing occupation of a given area
of land contribute to stool parasite load, and of course with the hookworm,
no shoes.

So, depending on when and where the HG's lived, hookworm might have been a
factor.

Arguing against it being a major factor in HG's is that it takes its
heaviest toll on children, and the tall stature and well developed
skeletons attributed to HG's would be pretty hard to obtain growing up iron
deficient.

On a slightly different tack,(still iron but not worms), does anyone
remember a few years ago when Hakeem Olajuwan, center for the Houston
Rockets was diagnosed with severe iron deficiency anemia? Apparently it was
thought to be exercise induced. Some other male professional atheletes have
also shown this symptom.

If anyone knows details on this, I would be very interested..

Thanks,  Michael