Iron?

[amberank]

I am HCV positive, seeking tx in the near future (have app't next month for more tests). I have heard things about not taking iron. Why is that? I take a multi-vitamin that does have iron in it. Should I find one without iron? I eat quite a bit of meat, should I cut back on my iron rich foods? I also take milk thistle and extra vitamin c daily. Does anyone have any advice on any other vitamins & herbs or diet advice for me?

[amommy]

Iron is very difficult for the liver to process, so most docs recommend steering clear of iron, including in vitamins.  For now, I would probably get a multi vit that doesn't have iron in it.  From what I have read, dietary iron is easier to metabolize, but still not easy so you may want to look at how much you really are taxing your liver with the foods you eat.  Everyone is different though, and you should definitely bring it up to your doc!

[NYgirl]

DO NOT TAKE A MULTI WITH IRON

Iron in the liver is what enables the virus to REPLICATE and that is the LAST THING YOU WANT

It's like you are feeding the virus and helping it to grow!

That is why the doctors tell us not to even eat out of cast iron pans...enough of the iron can get in to the food that it is an issue!!!!!!!!  So imagine taking a pill with it in it??? HOLY COW NO NO NO!

Not unless you want to help the virus grow!  ;)

[NYgirl]

ps cut back on red meats as it is a source of iron (and green veggies and whatever has IRON IN IT ala spinach!)

Also just take vitamins and minerals for your OVERALL HEALTH - they don't do ANYTHING about clearing the virus or achieving SVR.  The ONLY thing that kills the virus is INTERFERON.


I take Vitamins C, E (NO A OR K), D, Bcomplex, Biotin, Selenium, Grape Seed Extract, Tea Tree Oil, Zinc and a couple more I am forgetting = but they are antioxidants that are good for you (C and E) and just for overall health!

[merlino]

jeez-just read threads about juice not being good and green vegetables have too much iron-I live on this stuff. I have been eating green green green and drinking juice like crazy for the last 2 yrs thinking I am helping myself. I also take a supplement called Eco Green -which is loaded with more green. My Gastro Doc never really said anything about diet and the alternative treatment Dr. just told me to cut back on my carbs. What type of diet is good for is before tx and during?

[NYgirl]

Iron is about the worst thing you can give to yourself during treatment = it promotes the reproductivity of the virus in the liver.   Seriously, all the doctors I have read have even said NOT to eat food cooked in cast iron pans.  That tells you how serious a thing it is.

Also...we don't need to take any additional vitamin A or K = our bodies just don't need it and adding EXTRA is too much (betacarotene is that K? We need to look for vitamins without that).

If you do a google on iron and HCV I am sure it will give you a load of information on why = but the basic point it don't put any into your diet that you are able to avoid.

I think a sensible diet with regular vitaminns is what we are encouraged to do...going over the top on anything won't help much (ie: people who megadose on vitamins hoping it will help them clear when it wont).  Just good daily health is what we should really strive for.

I mean if you want a cookie have cookie but not the whole box logic LOL.

[NYgirl]

Iron enhances hepatitis C virus replication in cultured human ...BACKGROUND: Iron overload in the presence of increasing concentrations of iron is one of the indicat...

Hepatitis C - Alternative Hope for Hep CAnd learned that Iron and Vitamin A can progress liver scar tissue if ... This makes HCV harder to treat or kill because it’s actually inside the cell-wall. ...

Hepatitis C: An Information Resource - Liver Health Information ...Excess iron can be very damaging to the liver. Studies suggest that high iron levels reduce the response rate of patients with HCV to interferon. ...

Iron overload is a major concern in hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection because excess iron can promote hepatocyte damage by activating iron-mediated lipid ...

[merlino]

Thanks

[Magnum]

Costco sells One-a-Day with Lycopene and NO iron. It's an excellent daily multiple. Comes in a 250 tab container. You can buy this in other stores. Been taking it for years. Still alive.

Magnum

[amirtracy]

fyi also centrum silver has no iron...i'm not silver yet but my vitamins are ;)  tracy

[funkasaurus]

Hey girlfriend, what's up!

First of all the Eco-Green multi has no iron in it.  The amount you get from your fruits and veggies is nothing to worry about.  By the way NY Girl, beta-carotene is NOT vitamin K, it is a water-soluble vitamin A pre-cursor.  It is what our body needs in order to make it's own vitamin A.  Vitamin K is Phyllo-quinone (from plants) or menaquinone, which manufactured by intestinal bacterium.  There is also a synthetic form of vitamin K, but I do not know what it is called, but it probably has "quinone" in the name somewhere.

Anyway, remember that IP-6 I suggested you get?  What that does is chelate with the free-radical iron that causes oxidative stress (read: liver damage), and helps you eliminate excess iron.  The best thing to do is to ask Dr. C to test you for iron, ferritin and iron-binding capacity to see if you have iron issues or not.  Even if you don't, taking the IP-6 can't hurt you unless you take it with food or other supplements, because it can also take other nutrients out of your system the way it does with the iron.

See you soon,
the funkasaur

[Pdilly]

Question NYgirl.  During my blood work it said that the normal range for IRON on my test is 5-290.  Mine was 299.  I don't think its that high as I have heard of others 10 times that amount.

[merlino]

Hey HB, Its DJ - seeing DR. Ciccone tonight-thanks for info on new trials

[NYgirl]

HI!  I am NO expert about iron at ALL I don't actually know SQUAT except the doc said not to take more of it.  Since it hasn't been one of my problems I've not researched it up the YING YANG like I do with every little problem that I DO GET ;)

My advice is to a. ask the doc and b. try and google it up.  It seems that there is NOTHING you can't find online these days and it might give you something to ease your mind while waiting on the doc?

What did he have to say about it?

I wish you ALL of the best with it and everything! :)

[merlino]

Hi my friend, went to see Dr C last night-Gave him papers on trial. he will look into. Didn;t feel any better after Glut treatment. Still tired. Due to see Dr P on the 15th. Will ask him about trial and go from there. Can't wait any longer, there are so many trials hopefully can do one. Too much pressure girlfriend. Need this gone!!!! Time to treat!