Pathogens require iron to flourish.
Iron is very important to our overall function. But one of the many reasons I cringe when it’s taken willy-nilly is because most people don’t know that p@thogens - virus3s, b@cteria, fungi, p@rasites, mycotoxins, etc. - love it.
“Inf3ctious organisms (p@thogens)...require iron, and have evolved systems to acquire iron in the host they inf3ct...Most b@cterial, all funchal and all protozoan p@thogenic invaders require iron as an essential growth factor. Virus3s use iron in the host cell for their reproduction, even though they contain no iron themselves. The less iron available for these organisms, the less the likelihood of becoming inf3cted and the less the severity of the illn3ss in case of inf3ction…
Some p@thogenic microorg@nisms invade cells (intracellular p@thogens), and are able to acquire iron-containing ferritin molecules for their own purposes. Other p@thogens may dissolve tissues and thus obtain the iron in them.
Taking iron, or having high iron stores, appears to be a good way to get an inf3ction.” — P.D. Mangan, “Dumping Iron”
“The evidence that supplemental Iron can promote both Inf3ctions and chronic inflammatory dis3ases is clear…” — M. Wessling-Resnick, PhD (PMID. 20420524)
Luckily, your body has protective mechanisms in place. During an inf3ction, iron gets stored “in the liver, spleen, bone, and lymphatic tissues...At the same time, the body mobilizes copper from storage tissues. Increased copper levels in the blood allow the body to mount an effective attack and overcome the invading organism.” — D.L. Watts, “Trace Elements”
But “...if the inf3ction becomes chronic, tissue copper stores can become depleted at the same time causing an excess tissue of iron storage.” — D.L. Watts, “Trace Elements”
This is called anemia of chronic dis3ease (ACD). “A. Locke...found that sera from persons undergoing inflammatory defense are hypoferremia. As patients recovered, normal levels of iron would promptly return.” — E.D. Weinberg, “Exposing the Hidden Dangers of Iron”
This post isn’t a commentary, but simply what I consider a foundational concept to iron metabolism. For those of you wanting more, check out PMID: 32681497.
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Not medical advice.
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This is not medical advice. Always consult your healthcare professional before pursuing any changes to your personal healthcare regime.
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References
Cartwright, G.E Hamilton, L.D. Gubler, C.J. Fellows, N.M. Aschenbrucker, H. Wintrobe, M.M. (1950). THE ANEMIA OF INFECTION. XIII. STUDIES ON EXPERIMENTALLY PRODUCED ACUTE HYPOFERREMIA IN DOGS AND THE RELATIONSHIP OF THE ADRENAL CORTEX TO HYPOFERREMIA. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC436241/pdf/jcinvest00415-0037.pdf.
Elin R.J., Wolff S.M. (1974). “The Role of Iron in Nonspecific Resistance to Infection Induced by Endotoxin.” Retrieved from: pdfs.semanticscholar.org/de95/2a2d800e6e233a7fae838b260e2d15210bea.pdf.
Hale, S.F. (2011). Can Iron Worsen Infection?. Retrieved from: https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/755295.
Robbins, M. (2015). Iron Toxicity Post #7: All manner of pathogens – fungal, viral, mycotoxin etc., MUST have iron to flourish and grow! Retrieved from: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/mag-pie-alert-1-toxicity-of-iron/.
Robbins, M. (2017). Iron Toxicity Post #62: You do NOT have a Candida Infection, you DO have an Iron Infestation!. Retrieved from: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/iron-toxicity-post-62-you-do-not-have-a-candida-infection-you-do-have-an-iron-infestation/.
Robbins, M. (2018). Iron Toxicity Post #72: Iron deficiency is associated with RESISTANCE to infection. Retrieved from: https://therootcauseprotocol.com/iron-toxicity-post-72-formerly-itp72/
Wang, L., Wessling-Resnick, M. Johnson, E.E. Shi, H.N. Walker, W.A. Cherayil, B.J. (2008). Attenuated inflammatory responses in hemochromatosis reveal a role for iron in the regulation of macrophage cytokine translation. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2561261/pdf/nihms55085.pdf
Wessling-Resnick, M. (2010). Iron Homeostasis and the Inflammatory Response. Retrieved from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3108097/.
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