Iron and Diabetes
High iron intake from meat may raise the risk of type 2 diabetes. Too much heme iron -- the form of the mineral found in meat -- may contribute to diabetes through long-term damage to body cells. Harvard researchers found that among 85,000 women followed for 20 years, the risk of developing type 2 diabetes climbed in tandem with heme iron consumption. Women who ate the most heme iron had a 28 percent higher risk than those with the lowest intakes, even with factors like body weight, exercise and overall diet considered. Iron from plant foods and supplements, which is not absorbed as heme iron, was unrelated to diabetes risk and indeed conversely shows helpful elements of helping to keep vital organs health, including essential pancreatic (as well as heart and blood) function.
Published Clinical Studies
Iron Amino Acid Chelate
The absorption and metabolism of iron amino acid chelate
Ashmead HD.
Albion Laboratories, Inc., Clearfield, Utah, USA
Several studies describe significant increases in the intestinal absorption of iron from iron amino acid chelate compared to inorganic iron salts. While these increased uptakes of iron from the amino acid chelate into mucosal tissue are highly significant, it is also demonstrated that there is a mechanism in the mucosal tissue which controls the quantity of iron from the amino acid chelate that is transferred to the plasma. For example, the higher the hemoglobin value, the less iron transferred. When considered together these studies demonstrate that iron amino acid chelate is both a safe and effective source of iron for treatment of iron deficiencies.
PMID: 11688075 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE
Amino acid-chelate: a better source of Zn, Mn and Cu for rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss
This study aimed to evaluate the amino acid-chelated trace elements as dietary supplement to rainbow trout. Three diets were formulated containing trace elements either from the inorganic salt (SF) or amino acid-chelate (AM). Diets 1 (SF) and 2 (AM) contained the same amount of trace elements from inorganic and amino acid-chelates, respectively. Diet 3 (AM-Hf) was added with trace elements from amino acid-chelatex at one-half of their levels in Diets 1 and 2. Each diet was fed for 15 weeks to three groups of 30 fish each, with an average weight of 1.52±0.21 g. Growth of fish was not affected by the treatment (P>0.05). However, bone (P<0.01) and liver (P<0.05) Cu contents were higher in the AM than the SF group. Similarly, hematocrit level (P<0.05) and alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity (P<0.01) were higher in the chelate-fed fish. Further, DNA polymerase and CuZnSOD expression in the AM group was highly upregulated (P<0.05) compared to the SF fed fish as quantified by RT-PCR. Absorption and whole body retention of Mn and Zn from the AM were higher (P<0.05) than the inorganic salt. Half supplementation of those fed the elements from AM was at par with the full provision from the inorganic source tested.
Cross-Talk Between Iron Metabolism and Diabetes
José Manuel Fernández-Real, Abel López-Bermejo, and Wifredo Ricart
Emerging scientific evidence has disclosed unsuspected influences between iron metabolism and type 2 diabetes. The relationship is bi-directional—iron affects glucose metabolism, and glucose metabolism impinges on several iron metabolic pathways. Oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines influence these relationships, amplifying and potentiating the initiated events. The clinical impact of these interactions depends on both the genetic predisposition and the time frame in which this network of closely related signals acts. In recent years, increased iron stores have been found to predict the development of type 2 diabetes while iron depletion was protective. Iron-induced damage might also modulate the development of chronic diabetes complications. Iron depletion has been demonstrated to be beneficial in coronary artery responses, endothelial dysfunction, insulin secretion, insulin action, and metabolic control in type 2 diabetes.
http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/439591