The Harmful Effects of Iron Fortification of Foods
Iron fortification of foods is a widespread practice, but it may be causing more harm than good. Learn about the potential risks of iron overload and DNA damage caused by free iron in enriched flour and other foods.
P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸
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Iron fortification of foods is widespread and probably causes more harm than good.
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023
In the U.S., the FDA mandates that "enriched flour" must be fortified with iron, and most baked goods are made with it.
Bread, for instance. pic.twitter.com/Jnnk4xDscg -
Pasta pic.twitter.com/COBVBMFULP
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
Iron supplements could be tipping pregnant women into gestational diabetes. https://t.co/EPMntkOhKs
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
While iron fortification of foods is done to fight iron deficiency, it also leads to a significant amount of iron overload. pic.twitter.com/W1ygAIZ8W2
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
Free (unbound by ferritin and other molecules) iron causes DNA damage and may in fact be the most important factor doing so. https://t.co/UpDc9IZTNY
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
Dietary flavonoids from tea, onions, and apples are associated with massively lower (68%) risk of coronary heart disease, and the reason may be because these flavonoids are strong iron chelators - they bind free iron and remove it. https://t.co/1sblCeABWJ
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
The iron added to food is often just ground iron. This is free iron, the kind most likely to cause DNA damage. pic.twitter.com/UtHY0GKZhN
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
Iron deficiency anemia is found in from 3-5% of toddlers and women of childbearing age in the U.S.
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023
This should be appropriately addressed, but giving iron to everyone can lead to many more cases of iron overload.https://t.co/77zs5y5ExL -
Iron fortification is one more reason to avoid ultra-processed foods.
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023
Iron overload is dangerous, and even small amounts of free iron can damage DNA and other biomolecules. -
One more: ferric citrate, which is often used for iron fortification of food, damages the colon in mice. pic.twitter.com/cSOX7mvVl1
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 25, 2023 -
Iron may be implicated in causing strokes. pic.twitter.com/CyMaJEKlLH
— P. D. Mangan Health & Freedom Maximalist 🇺🇸 (@Mangan150) March 26, 2023