On Tue, 6 Feb 2001 09:49:43 -0500, Todd Moody <[log in to unmask]>
wrote:

>  In this
>case, it's clear.  If you are homozygous for the mutant gene that
>causes hemochromatosis, you will have the disease.  It doesn't
>matter what you eat or how you live, although some diets will
>cause problems sooner than others.

I'd like to hear about a case of hemachromatosis who is not eating
heme iron. Humans have a builtin mechanism which can regulate the intake
of iron in the food, but not for heme iron.
Heme iron is the sort of iron exclusively found in blood meat, animal
products.
If there is a gene relatively frequent in humans that creates a disease
out of eaten iron (i assume only of heme iron) then 2 cases are possible.

1. the hemochromatosis mutant gene developped only in the last few 1000
  years, when people didn't eat much meat.
  Which races are involved with the disease? Can chinese get it?
  Can blacks get it? Can native americans get it?
or
2. the heme iron intake within the evolution time,
 while the gene was present was rather low. Low enough that the carriers
 of  the gene were not selected out.

> The bloodletting therapy is
>simple, inexpensive, and effective.

Of course nowhere in evolution artificial regular bloodletting was usual.
I think it's safe to assume that in former times a *little* blood was left
on occasional small injurings. More that for couch potatoes of today, but
certainly less than 1/2 liter regularly.
The little blood loss (by injuring) may have been enough to discard a little
here iron obtained from occasional red blooded animals.

Today even couch potatoe SAD eaters (of some 300g meat per day) are suspect
to die of hemochromatosis. Iron overload.

So, where and when is the root of the hc-mutant gene?

regards, Amadeus