Iron Diet

October 8, 2008

As people get older, they worry about anemia and whether they’re getting enough iron in their diets. But a University of Florida study shows that over time iron accumulates inside cells. Researcher Christiaan Leeuwenburgh says that can cause cells to die prematurely.

Leeuwenburgh: “There’s a much higher concentrations in the cells and more specifically there’s higher concentrations in the mitochondria and the mitochondria are a central controller of cell death and aging. They seem to be harmed and there’s internal damage that can actually initiate cell death in the muscle cells.”

Results show as people get older their bodies don’t transport iron as well as they used to, so iron builds up in cells. So experts recommend that as people age, they need to pay close attention to the calories they consume and what’s in those calories.

Leeuwenburgh: “If you don’t have a proper diet, just looking at the calories during your life span, this whole mechanism of iron control is disrupted.”

So while younger people still need and can handle iron supplements, they can cause problems as you get older.

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