http://www.altmedicine.com/Article.asp?ID=3239

"Excess iron intake may increases risk of intestinal infections
October 15, 2001 - Ohio State University

Researchers at Ohio State University believe that an overdose of iron
in the
nation's diet could be rendering thousands of otherwise healthy people
prone
to intestinal infection.

The scientists found that cells containing high levels of iron were
more
easily invaded by the bacteria.

In a laboratory study, the researchers found that human intestinal
cells with
excess iron were more susceptible to attack by bacteria that cause
infection
of the small intestine.

The study suggests that enriching breakfast cereals and other foods
with high
doses of iron - a nutritional strategy that has been widely adopted
to
eliminate iron deficiency in the population - could be causing other
health
problems.

Mark Failla - "Instead of fortifying everyone's diet with excess iron,
we
should diagnose iron deficiency and then provide supplemental iron
only to
those who need it," said Mark Failla, professor of nutrition at Ohio
State
University and the senior author of the study. Failla and his
colleagues
reported the study in a recent issue of the Journal of Nutrition.

Failla's group arrived at these conclusions after laboratory
experiments with
human cells that are virtually identical to cells lining the small
intestine.
These epithelial cells of the small intestine transfer iron from
digested
foods to the bloodstream for transport to the body's various organs.
Iron is
vital for a variety of metabolic processes, including the binding and
release
of oxygen by red blood cells.

In their experiments, Failla and his colleagues exposed cells to a
common
form of iron that is present in iron supplements. Iron-laden cells
were then
exposed to Salmonella enteritidis, a bacterium that causes intestinal
infections in humans. Infection from Salmonella enteritidis often
results
from eating undercooked eggs, and is accompanied by fever, abdominal
cramps
and diarrhea.

The scientists found that cells containing high levels of iron were
more
easily invaded by the bacteria. Moreover, greater numbers of bacteria
survived inside cells with high iron than cells with normal amounts of
iron.

Cells with elevated levels of iron also synthesized higher amounts of
cytokines and chemokines - classes of defense proteins -- in response
to
bacterial infection. The secretion of many of these proteins is
associated
with the development of inflammation.

"The finding suggests that excess iron in the absorptive cells in the
gut may
increase both the risk of infection and damage other tissues in the
intestine
in response to the greater degree of inflammation," Failla said.

To prevent iron overload, the researchers suggest a revision of the
standard
policy of iron fortification of the general population. They
recommend
periodic evaluation of the iron status of individuals, particularly
women in
the reproductive period of their life cycle. If an individual exhibits
iron
deficiency, therapeutic iron can be administered by injection or by
judicious
use of dietary supplements as prescribed by a physician or registered
dietitian.

"Iron is a double-edged sword," Failla said. "Although it is an
absolutely
essential nutrient, excess tissue iron can cause pathology."

Failla and his colleagues are planning further experiments to explain
why
intestinal cells with high iron levels are more readily infected. The
studies
would also help understand the mechanism behind the heightened
expression of
defense proteins in these cells in response to bacterial invasion.

The research was funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the
North
Carolina Institute of Nutrition."

The URL:
http://www.darvahouse.com/excess-iron-intestinal-infections/

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