Consuming too much iron and manganese may increase the risk of Parkinson’s disease, according to a study.
People who consumed high levels of iron and manganese, such as those who were taking more than one multivitamin or a multivitamin and an iron supplement, were almost twice as likely to develop the disease as people who consumed lower levels.
Iron and manganese can both be a neurotoxin when taken in high amounts, researchers said.
The study involved 250 people with Parkinson's disease and 388 similar people who did not have the disease. Researchers compared the groups and asked them about what foods and supplements they consumed.
Those who had the highest levels of dietary iron were 1.7 times more likely to have developed Parkinson's than people who consumed the least iron, researchers said.
Further, people who consumed higher than normal levels of both iron and manganese were 1.9 times more likely to have developed Parkinson’s as people who consumed lower levels.
Those who consumed above-average levels of iron and took a multivitamin or iron supplement daily were about twice as likely to develop Parkinson’s than people who consumed below-average levels of iron and did not usually take supplements.
Iron and manganese can contribute to oxidative stress, which results when cells release toxic substances called free radicals as part of normal energy consumption and metabolism.
Oxidative stress may cause brain cells that produce dopamine--the same cells that are affected by Parkinson's disease--to deteriorate.
Foods such as spinach, legumes, nuts and whole grains are rich in both iron and manganese. Red meat and poultry contain a lot of iron.
Researchers pointed out that the benefits of eating these foods outweigh the risks of Parkinson’s disease and noted that people shouldn’t eliminate these minerals from their diets. We need iron and manganese, although a lot is not necessarily better, researchers said.
Parkinson's disease is caused by the loss of neurons that produce dopamine, which is involved in movement. The condition causes tremors, muscle rigidity and movement problems.
Neurology June 10, 2003;60:1761-1766
While iron is a necessary part of staying healthy, too much iron can be devastating. Aside from the excess iron that can result from iron supplements, iron overload, or hemochromatosis, is actually the most common inherited disease. You can find out all the technical details from reading my article on how to diagnose iron overload below. In hereditary hemochromatosis deposits of iron appear in practically every major organ, particularly the liver, pancreas and heart, resulting in complete and widespread organ failure.
Further, iron has been known to be associated with infection for 30 years. When excess iron is present, the body’s normal antibacterial mechanisms become severely compromised. Excess iron can also create massive amounts of free radicals.
If you were to listen to traditional medicine the only solution for iron overload is to donate a pint of blood every two weeks. This is not a very effective solution and may require many years before it works as up to 50 therapeutic phlebotomies may be necessary.
Measuring iron levels is a very important part of optimizing your health, especially for men and postmenopausal women since excess iron is most common among these groups. However, simply measuring serum iron is a poor way to do this because frequently the serum iron will be normal. The most useful of the indirect measures of iron status in the body is through a measure of the serum ferritin level in conjunction with a total iron binding level.
If you find elevated serum ferritin levels, you do not have to perform therapeutic phlebotomies. A simple extract from rice bran called phytic acid, or IP6, can serve as a very effective form of iron chelation that is non-toxic, inexpensive and can be done without a prescription.
Tsuno Food & Rice Company of Wakayama, Japan is the only manufacturer of IP6 in the world; any brand you purchase would come from this company. Since it is all the same product, the least expensive brand is probably the best one to choose, and Jarrow seems to have the best prices.
Manganese is similar to iron in that it can be harmful at excessive levels. High amounts of manganese down regulates serotonin and dopamine and high levels of manganese are often found in learning disabled or violent individuals. Although it has the potential to create major problems, very little attention is paid to manganese toxicity by the medical community.
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