Iron levels should be checked regardless of gender

Men and Women Should Have a Serum Ferritin Test

The Man of Steel returned to theaters recently, but HSI members are more curious about Men and Iron.

Matthew writes: “Hello just read your bit on Iron and iron deficiency. It seems to be directed toward women. I have heard and read men should not take increased iron after the age of 45-50. Does this still seem to be the opinion in tradition and alternative health?”

And from Karen: “I have a question about too much iron. We have high-iron well water (it turns our white clothes a lovely shade of orange). Is the iron in the water dangerous for men? Should I get a filter — it comes up as very high on water tests, and I am concerned that it’s too much for my husband (I’ve read that men should not supplement iron after a certain age).”

When I ran these questions by HSI Panelist Allan Spreen, M.D., he noted that there’s no single answer that fits everyone. The solution: get tested.

Dr. Spreen: “From time to time men should have (as should women) a serum ferritin test from their docs. It’s the most sensitive test for iron (though a bit more expensive and therefore not always ordered). If that level is normal then no additional iron should be needed.

“We certainly need iron, but inorganic iron (like ferrous sulfate and others) is a less-than-desirable source of the nutrient. Well water would be inorganic. If serum ferritin tests are high (or even at the highest end of normal, as the test has a wide range), a good water filter might be helpful.

“The best source of iron is organic, meaning it comes from an animal. Aside from the vitamin B-12 issue, this is another area of trouble for vegan diets (total non-animal vegetarian), no matter what the vegan experts say, in my opinion. If organ meats, specifically liver, are poorly tolerated (as they are for me), then I use desiccated liver tablets. They are inexpensive and available from Argentine beef, which tends to have fewer problems than beef from the U.S. Since the liver is a toxin-filtering organ, liver from a source as far as possible from the herbicides, pesticides and hormones of ‘advanced’ farming techniques is desirable.”