Iron
Episodes
Dr. Andy Galpin & Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss nutrition, supplement, and recovery strategies for improving exercise performance.
In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala delves into the nuances of sex-based differences in exercise response and their implications for individual outcomes.
In this clip, Dr. Roger Seheult explains how vitamin D is a misnomer and how it fulfills many critical roles in the body.
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Exercise Supplements Nutrition Sleep Performance Omega-3 Vitamin E Heat Stress Cold Stress Iron ProteinDr. Andy Galpin & Dr. Rhonda Patrick discuss nutrition, supplement, and recovery strategies for improving exercise performance.
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In this clip, Dr. Martin Gibala delves into the nuances of sex-based differences in exercise response and their implications for individual outcomes.
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In this clip, Dr. Roger Seheult explains how vitamin D is a misnomer and how it fulfills many critical roles in the body.
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In this clip, Dr. Roger Seheult describes his personal experience treating COVID-19 patients in the hospital.
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Rhonda Exercise Gut Microbiome Sleep Heart Disease Diabetes Omega-3 Fasting Pregnancy Melatonin Vaccine Iron Gluten COVID-19 Breast Milk Wearable TechnologyDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Jed Fahey describes how long the health effects of broccoli sprouts last.
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In this clip, Dr. Jed Fahey discusses the best protocol for maximizing glucoraphanin levels in broccoli sprouts to obtain the highest concentration of sulforaphane.
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Rhonda Vitamin D Brain Microbiome Depression Probiotics Fasting Coffee Anxiety Sauna Iron Blood Sugar COVID-19 Cardiovascular Ketogenic DietDr. Rhonda Patrick answers audience questions on various health, nutrition, and science topics in this Q&A session.
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In this clip, Dr. Rhonda Patrick explains why iron levels in breast milk are low.
Topic Pages
News & Publications
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Regular aerobic exercise in older rats reduces brain inflammation, nerve fiber demyelination, and iron-triggered cell death—potential contributors to Alzheimer's pathology. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
The pathological brain changes that drive Alzheimer’s disease may begin as much as 20 years before cognitive signs become evident. However, evidence indicates that exercise can slow or prevent these changes. A recent study involving older rats found that regular aerobic exercise reduces age-related inflammation in the brain and improves the balance between nerve fibers and their protective myelin coating.
Researchers had older rats exercise on a treadmill for eight weeks. Then, they examined the rats' brain tissue and analyzed changes in tau protein, amyloid plaques, and iron levels.
They discovered that older rats engaging in regular physical exercise experienced reduced age-related inflammation and improved balance between nerve fibers and their protective myelin coating. They also learned that excessive iron in oligodendrocytes—cells that support and insulate nerve fibers—triggers a type of cell death known as ferroptosis, possibly contributing to the formation of amyloid-beta plaques linked to Alzheimer’s. They identified statistical connections between tau and amyloid proteins (hallmarks of Alzheimer’s), iron levels, and cells in the hippocampus, a brain region crucial for memory.
These findings indicate that iron plays a critical role in Alzheimer’s pathology, but exercise can mitigate some of these effects. Learn more about preventing and reversing Alzheimer’s disease in this episode featuring Dr. Dale Bredesen.
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A diet abundant in antioxidants, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids mitigates harmful iron accumulation in the brain, preserving cognitive function. www.sciencedirect.com
Although iron is essential for many physiological processes in the body, it can also be harmful, inducing oxidative stress and hindering neurogenesis. The body typically stores iron in protein complexes until needed, but these storage processes decline with age, leading to iron accumulation in body tissues. A recent study revealed that iron can build up in the brain, impairing cognitive function. Nevertheless, dietary components can help reduce iron accumulation in the brain and maintain cognitive health.
Researchers examined the brain health of 72 cognitively healthy older adults by conducting brain scans at baseline and two to three years later. Participants provided details about their dietary habits, physical activity, and overall health. They also underwent cognitive tests that evaluated their episodic memory and executive function.
The brain scans revealed that iron levels increased markedly over time, and higher iron accumulation correlated with poorer cognitive function. However, a higher intake of antioxidants, vitamins, iron-chelating nutrients, and polyunsaturated fatty acids mitigated iron accumulation. Iron-chelating nutrients include polyphenolic compounds, such as gallic acid and catechins (in tea), caffeic acid (in coffee), quercetin (in apples and onions), ellagic acid (in walnuts and pomegranates), curcumin (in turmeric) and others.
These findings suggest that diet mitigates iron accumulation in the brain, ultimately influencing cognitive health. Interestingly, alcohol can promote iron accumulation in the brain. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Increased iron levels in the brain worsen cognitive test performance by as much as 10% in older adults, a phenomenon linked to brain atrophy and decline in memory and attention. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
Iron is an essential nutrient that participates in oxygen transport, energy production, and other critical processes. However, iron can accumulate in the brain, impairing memory and thinking abilities, especially in conditions like Alzheimer’s. A recent study found that older adults with higher brain iron levels perform poorly on cognitive tests.
Researchers used specialized MRI techniques to measure iron levels and atrophy in the brains of 770 older adults. Of these participants, 219 underwent cognitive testing roughly every year for about three years. The researchers focused on crucial brain regions associated with normal aging and Alzheimer’s disease to explore the relationship between iron buildup, brain atrophy, and cognitive performance.
They found that higher iron levels were linked to worse cognitive performance, particularly in memory and attention. Participants with the highest iron levels in aging-related brain regions were more likely to experience cognitive decline over time, performing up to 10% worse on cognitive tests than those with lower iron levels. Additionally, increased iron levels corresponded with more severe brain atrophy in these regions.
These findings suggest that brain iron accumulation impairs cognitive function and may be an early warning sign for the condition. Other lifestyle factors contribute to cognitive losses and brain atrophy, too, including alcohol consumption. Learn more in this episode featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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Alcohol consumption is linked to increased iron accumulation in the brain, potentially impairing memory, learning, and reward-processing functions. journals.plos.org
Iron is an essential mineral, best known for its critical role in cellular oxygen transport. However, having too much iron in the brain drives cognitive deficits. A 2022 study found that alcohol consumption promotes iron deposition in the brain, compromising cognitive function, even among moderate drinkers.
The investigation involved nearly 21,000 adults enrolled in the UK Biobank study. Participants provided information about their alcohol intake and completed a battery of cognitive tests. Researchers performed magnetic resonance imaging scans to assess iron levels in the participants' brains and livers.
They found that, on average, participants consumed about 18 units of alcohol per week, roughly equivalent to ten 12-ounce beers or ten 5-ounce glasses of wine. Participants who consumed as few as 7 units of alcohol per week had higher levels of iron in the brain’s putamen and caudate (in the basal ganglia) and in the substantia nigra (in the midbrain), areas involved in learning, memory, reward processing, and movement. Higher iron levels in the basal ganglia were associated with slower executive function, lower fluid intelligence, and slower reaction times. Those who consumed more than 11 units of alcohol per week had higher iron levels in their livers.
These findings suggest that moderate alcohol consumption has marked effects on the brain and cognition, likely due to excess iron deposition. Alcohol consumption is associated with a wide range of health problems, including heart disease, stroke, liver dysfunction, and cancer. However, vigorous exercise can help reduce alcohol cravings. Learn more in this video featuring Dr. Rhonda Patrick.
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An open-label pilot trial found that the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine may be useful in the treatment of COVID-19. mediterranee-infection.com
A number of randomized controlled trials are currently underway investigating various antiviral therapies for the treatment of COVID-19. Findings from a very small open-label study recently published in the Journal of Antimicrobial Agents found that hydroxychloroquine decreased viral nasopharyngeal levels of SARS-CoV-2 virus in COVID-19 patients in only three to six days in most patients.
Hydroxychloroquine is a common antimalarial drug that is also used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and lupus. In 2017, it was the 128th most prescribed medication in the United States with more than five million prescriptions. It is relatively safe with a few side effects. This Wikipedia article provides an overview of hydroxychloroquine.
In vitro studies in 2004 and 2005 showed that hydroxychloroquine is a potent inhibitor of SARS-CoV, the virus that causes severe acute respiratory syndrome, or SARS. A later study found that hydroxychloroquine improved survival rates in newborn mice infected with a related coronavirus.
The current study involved 32 confirmed COVID-19 patients who were administered 600 milligrams of hydroxychloroquine daily for six days. Some patients also received the antibiotic azithromycin. Nasopharyngeal samples taken on day six of treatment indicated that 70 percent of the hydroxychloroquine-treated patients had cleared the virus compared with 12.5 percent in the group receiving standard of care. All of the patients who received both the antibiotic azithromycin and the hydroxychloroquine cleared the virus from nasopharyngeal samples.
Azithromycin is an antibiotic that has been shown to have antiviral activity against some viruses like Ebola in animal studies. The safety profile of taking both hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin needs to be determined.
In addition, randomized-controlled trials need to confirm whether these therapeutics are effective for the treatment of COVID-19. Large randomized-controlled trials are underway in China and the US. You can read more about those trials here.
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As many as 10 million people living in the United States have low iron levels. Findings from a new study suggest that iron levels in the basal ganglia region of the brain during youth influence cognitive ability.
Iron is an essential nutrient that plays critical roles in many facets of brain function, including cellular respiration, neurotransmitter synthesis, and myelination – a process essential to nerve cell transmission and cognitive development. Iron can be obtained in the diet from both animal and plant sources.
The basal ganglia comprise clusters of neurons located deep within the cerebral hemispheres, at the base of the forebrain and the top of the midbrain. They participate in a wide range of cognitive, motor, and emotive functions.
The longitudinal study involved more than 800 young people between the ages of 8 and 26 years old who were enrolled in the Philadelphia Neurodevelopment Cohort study. The participants underwent neuroimaging scans up to three times during the study period to quantify iron levels in four regions (caudate, putamen, nucleus accumbens, and globus pallidus) of their basal ganglia. They also completed cognitive performance tests to assess executive control, complex cognition, episodic memory, social cognition, and motor speed.
The imaging scans revealed that iron levels increased over time in all four regions of the basal ganglia, with the greatest concentrations present in the globus pallidus and putamen, areas that regulate voluntary movement and learning. Higher iron concentrations in the putamen, in particular, were related to higher cognitive abilities among the participants. The accumulation of iron in these regions occurred earlier in females.
These findings highlight the importance of proper nutrition during development and suggest that iron supplementation may be beneficial, especially during adolescence.
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Fish oil supplementation associated with a lower risk of heart attack, heart disease, coronary heart disease and death from all those diseases. www.sciencedaily.com
Fish oil supplementation associated with a lower risk of heart attack, heart disease, coronary heart disease and death from all those diseases. This was particularly evident at higher doses (updated meta‐analysis including 13 randomized controlled trials).
This study is an UPDATED meta-analysis that included the previously analyzed trials and 3 recently completed large-scale trials, which increased the sample size by 64%. In one analysis the REDUCE-IT trial, which was the high dose EPA study that found very large reductions in cardiovascular disease (CVD) were excluded and still reductions in CVD found.
One important thing that was explored in this updated analysis was dose-response relationships between fish oil supplementation and CVD risks. This has not been addressed yet. Because most included trials with negative results included patients at high risk of CVD and with advanced atherosclerosis, a high dose of marine omega‐3 supplementation may be needed to achieve potential benefits in this setting.
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Role of dietary transition metals on host microbiota and risk of disease www.gutmicrobiotaforhealth.com
Transition metals are required cofactors for many proteins that are critical for life, and their concentration within cells is carefully maintained to avoid both deficiency and toxicity. To defend against bacterial pathogens, vertebrate immune proteins sequester metals, in particular zinc, iron, and manganese, as a strategy to limit bacterial acquisition of these necessary nutrients in a process termed “nutritional immunity.” In response, bacteria have evolved elegant strategies to access metals and counteract this host defense. In mammals, metal abundance can drastically shift due to changes in dietary intake or absorption from the intestinal tract, disrupting the balance between host and pathogen in the fight for metals and altering susceptibility to disease. This review describes the current understanding of how dietary metals modulate host-microbe interactions and the subsequent impact on the outcome of disease.
https://www.cell.com/cell-host-microbe/fulltext/S1931-3128(18)30262-2
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Brain inflammation found to be 30% higher in people suffering with obsessive-compulsive disorder. www.eurekalert.org
There’s very good evidence for systemic inflammation being implicated in mental disorders more generally, but also depression specifically. See the FoundMyFitness video entitled “The Underlying Mechanisms of Depression” to learn about some of the interesting experiments establishing the connection between immune dysfunction and symptoms of depression.
This study, however, seems to suggest that people with obsessive-compulsive disorder actively have 30% higher brain-related inflammation.
FTA:
A chemical dye measured the activity of immune cells called microglia, which are active in inflammation, in six brain areas that play a role in OCD. In people with OCD, inflammation was 32 per cent higher on average in these regions. Inflammation was greater in some people with OCD as compared to others, which could reflect variability in the biology of the illness. […] Another notable finding from the current study - a connection between resisting compulsions and brain inflammation - provides one indicator. At least nine out of 10 people with OCD carry out compulsions, the actions or rituals that people do to try to reduce their obsessions. In the study, people who experienced the greatest stress or anxiety when they tried to avoid acting out their compulsions also had the highest levels of inflammation in one brain area. This stress response could also help pinpoint who may best benefit from this type of treatment.
In light of the fact that we now know the body’s immune system is afforded direct access to the brain via a network of lymphatic vessels in the meninges, it puts managing systemic inflammation in a whole new light.
While we may be a long way away from finding a “cure” for people suffering from these disorders, it does make multi-pronged inflammation reduction approaches that much more appealing.
This could possibly include…
- supplemental omega-3 (especially supplements rich in EPA, which dampens inflammation)
- supplemental sulforaphane which dampens inflammation and may also cross the blood-brain barrier. Watch the FoundMyFitness video on sulforaphane.
- improving the microbiome, especially by ingesting a diversity of plant fibers which play a role in dampening inflammation through the production of short-chain fatty acids which boost the production of regulatory T cells. Watch the interview with the Sonnenburgs to learn more about this relationship.
- using physical activity as a way of stimulating the breakdown of toxic kynurenine by our muscles.
… and yes, possibly targetted drugs as well. The point is, by establishing inflammation as a missing link in these disorders it opens up a lot of different possible “treatments” that might have a cumulative effect! Interesting times.