Studies Iron tablets can damage the DNA

How much iron is really needed?
When people experience certain deficiency symptoms, they often take tablets or other supplements to make up for them. But such products may not always be helpful, because some also seem to have negative side effects. Scientists at Imperial College London now warned against taking iron tablets. These would be suspected of damaging our DNA.

Dietary supplements should help our body to compensate for any deficiency symptoms. Many people suffer from iron deficiency and therefore take tablets. But these very tablets seem to have negative effects on our health. Researchers from the Imperial College London have now found in a study that iron tablets harm our DNA. The scientists published the results of their study in the current journal "Plos one".

Iron tablets and capsules can quickly lead to DNA damage, according to a recent study. (Image: cevahir87 / fotolia.com)

Iron tablets can trigger DNA damage in ten minutes
In iron deficiency (sideropenia) many sufferers use tablets to compensate for the deficiency symptoms. Often iron deficiency is asymptomatic and therefore not easy to notice. The amount of iron in the stomach can cause many sequelae, such as diffuse hair loss, brittle nails, headaches, dizziness, poor concentration and fatigue. To avoid these negative effects, sufferers often take iron tablets. In England and Wales alone, about six million prescriptions are issued every year for iron tablets, the experts explain. However, these could be harmful to our body, warn the doctors. The latest findings indicate that developers of such tablets should consider the amount of iron they contain. The effects on our body must be considered. The iron concentrations in standard tablet treatments could cause DNA damage within ten minutes, the scientists warn in their study.

Which people really need more iron?
Iron is an integral part of life. For example, without iron, our immune system would not work properly, so we do not usually have to take extra iron supplements, say the doctors. But there are also people who really need more iron. Especially pregnant women need a lot of iron. The recommended daily allowance for pregnant women is 27 milligrams of iron per day, compared to 15 to 18 milligrams per day for women who are not pregnant or breastfeeding. Menstruation also deprives the body of its iron stores. If you suffer from heavy menstrual bleeding, your doctor may want to do a blood test to detect any iron deficiency, explain the researchers. If you regularly do intense exercise, you should also increase your iron intake by up to 30 percent, experts suggest.

Reduced risk of heart disease due to iron loss due to menstruation
Men do not usually need to take extra iron unless they have diseases that cause chronic blood loss. However, some of them already have an increased risk of building up excess iron due to hereditary conditions, the researchers warn. According to the researchers, women show a low risk of heart disease before their menopause, which can be attributed to menstruation. The data from the "Framingham Heart Study" would suggest that monthly loss of iron through menstruation can help reduce the risk of heart disease, experts say. When menopause sets in, the risk of heart disease also increases. The storage of iron in postmenopausal women leads to an increased risk of corresponding diseases. Affected women should therefore refrain from an additional iron intake, the scientists warn.