Dusty College Paper - Nutrition (Why to take it easy on meat...especially for men)

Alright people, time for another educational segment. This is my reasoning why we all need to take it easy on our meat (especially red meat) consumption, among other reasons of course. Also why diets such as the Mediterranean diet are so successful for health (not just for losing weight). And for people like my loving husband Dan, one reason why we eat spaghetti with no meat, hamburger helper with corn instead of meat etc.

A serious concern due to iron toxicity is Hemosiderosis, which is when the body has too much iron storage. Chronic hemosiderosis is known as hemochromatosis, this allows more dietary iron to be absorbed than usual. Once iron is absorbed, there is no physiologic mechanism for excretion of excess iron from the body other than blood loss (i.e., pregnancy, menstruation or other bleeding) and desquamated cells. With no excretion the normal amount of iron, approximately 1-2 mg, is used or lost by desquamated epithelia. Hence, any excess iron above 2 mg is literally trapped in the body. When iron absorption exceeds the storage capacity of ferritin molecules, unbound iron may promote free-radical formation in cells, resulting in membrane lipid peroxidation and cellular injury. This resulting iron over-load can seriously damage and impair major tissues of the body such as: the liver and the heart. It can also result in diabetes, arthritis, and discoloration of the skin. The majorities that are subject to these kinds of toxicities are: men, chronic excessive alcohol consumers, and individuals that are genetically at risk for hemochromatosis. The reasoning being men usually consume more iron, and they do not loss blood monthly by menstruation. Chronic alcohol abusers usually have an impaired liver which may result in a hyper-absorption of iron. Those who have a genetic risk for hemochromatosis have excess iron build up over the span of many years. After several decades of increased iron absorption non-specific symptoms (i.e., fatigue, weakness, arthralgia) develop, followed by advanced conditions (i.e., arthritis, cirrhosis, liver cancer). Symptoms usually appear after 15–20 g of iron has accumulated in the body. Those who are genetically prone may suffer from complications of and HFE gene mutation. The HFE gene codes for a transmembrane glycoprotein that modulates iron uptake. This protein is highly expressed in intestinal cells at the site of dietary iron absorption. Recent studies suggest that loss of a functional HFE protein leads to increased iron uptake in the intestinal epithelial cell, which results in increased dietary iron absorption.

Ballero, B., JJ Strain, and MJ Sadler, ed. Encyclopedia of Human Nutrition. New York:

Harcourt Brace and Company Publishers, 1999.

Grodner, Michele, Sara Long, and Sandra DeYoung. Foundation and Clinical

Applications of Nutrition. St. Louis: Mosby Inc., 2004.

Kutsky, Roman J. Handbook of Vitamins, Mineral and Hormones. 2^nd Edition. New

York: Litton Education Publishing Inc., 1981.