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Wednesday, December 26, 2007

Hemochromatosis Tips To Live By

Hemochromatosis is the number one killer of genetic diseases.

But not to worry. You don't have to become a statistic.
Just take the following suggestions to heart and you will
most likely be okay. Tannin can be a big help in reducing
the amount of iron your body takes in.

Most herbal teas do not contain tannin.
Dark teas such as oolong and 'Green Tea' do have it.

Personally I like to make a bunch of green tea, decaf
of course, put it in the fridge, and drink a bit with every meal.

If it wasn't decaf I would be up all night. The tea with the tannin
will slow down your iron absorbtion and is all around good for ya.

Watch your vitamin C intake. Vitamin C will help move the iron around
to your organs and we don't want that.

I have also heard that calcium slows down iron absorbtion too.
So a little cottage cheese with meals may help.

Make sure your vitamins don't have iron or vitamin C.

You should not drink any high vitamin C juices at least 3 hours
before or after a meal.

Hemochromatosis sufferers are 32% more likely to have a stroke.
I don't know who came up with that number. But I like to take Omega3
fatty acids. A little stroke and heart attack prevention can't hurt.

Drink lots of water to help keep your blood thin.

If you go for a phlebotomy and your blood is too thick
and keeps coagulating in the tube, the nurse may try to
give you heparin, a powerful agent that interferes with
the bodys normal clotting process. Not good. I just say no.

I come back after drinking a ton of water. Seems to work.
Alfalfa sprouts and onions are good blood thinners too.

I take it everyday.

Milk thistle extract [silymarin] might still be controversial
by some medical pros. I have no doubt about the powerful liver
protecting benefits of milk thistle. My results have been real good.
The old liver seems to be doing its job again.

Alcohol is one of the most harmful liver toxins on the planet.
Milk thistle extract can have a dramatic effect limiting alcohol damage.
Good stuff.

I use basic common sense and never indulge in any food or snack that
has been fortified with iron or vitamin C.

I have been using the same vein for nearly 10 years. It is getting a
bit scarred and not delivering the blood too well now. When switching
veins I have discovered that the closer the needle gets to your wrist,
the more painful it is.

I try to stay as high up the arm as possible. Seems to be less nerves
up there and is not nearly as painful.

One more quick tip: Never eat food that has been cooked in cast iron.
Iron from the pan will soak into the food and do more damage to your body.

Hemochromatosis

Saturday, December 22, 2007

New Medications Found For Hemochromatosis

This post is dedicated in loving memory to Josephine Bogie Thomas, a founding board member of the American Hemochromatosis Society. Seventeen years after a late stage diagnosis, she died of liver cancer due to HFE-associated hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) on May 13, 1999 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

New Medications Found For Hemochromatosis
and other Diseases involving iron overload.

Hemochromatosis is basically a genetic disease characterized by improper processing by the body of dietary iron which causes iron to build up in a number of body parts, eventually causing organ dysfunction. It is the main iron overload disorder.

The study which has been explained in a recent issue of the Journal of Medicinal Chemistry has Raymond Bergeron and colleagues at the University of Florida explain that current treatments remove only small amounts of iron from sensitive organs such as the heart. Treatment sometimes must continue for years to remove enough iron to prevent organ damage.

Now the researchers report the synthesis and early testing in laboratory animals of a possible new generation of iron chelating drugs; compounds that remove excess iron from the body. Apart form working more efficiently than existing medications, the new compounds target specific organs such as the liver, heart and pancreas that are most vulnerable to iron-overload damage.

I will put any new findings about this procedure on the blog as soon as I hear about it.

Sunday, December 09, 2007

Iron Has It's Deadly Side

Iron is something that is important to the overall functioning of the body. Iron works with the red blood cells in order to deliver the proper amount of oxygen that is required for normal functioning in the body. Iron is a necessity to the human body. It is necessary to have iron in the body so that the rest of your body can receive the oxygen that is necessary. You cannot live without iron in your body. In this article, we will review the deadly side of iron.

It has recently been found that if there is too much or too little iron in the body it can prove to be very damaging and even fatal. If you have too little iron, your body lacks the oxygen that is required to live. If you have too much iron in your body, it can interfere with the normal functioning of important organs in the body like the liver and heart. Additionally, too much iron can cause damage to the joints in the body. Having too much iron in the body can also lead to certain types of cancers.

If a person has too little iron in their body, this is often referred to as anemia. If a person has too much iron in their body this is often referred to as Hemochromatosis. Both of these conditions can be very harmful to the body and can result in death. There are many symptoms associated with an abundance of iron and too little iron. It is important to understand that you cannot simply diagnose yourself. If you suspect that you have too little iron or too much iron, you should discuss your concerns with your doctor. The doctor will be able to perform a complete blood test and various other types of testing to determine if you have an issue. Once it has been confirmed that you have an issue with the iron in your body, the doctor will assign a treatment that is specifically for you.

Hemochromatosi. Strive To Stay Alive