Newbie seeking your Help!

[Karen]

RRM let's talk iron, please. Would you agree, that generally speaking, we need about 18 mg of heme iron per day?
Although 6 yolks provides us with approx. 3 mg .its still not enough to meet that daily requirement. Also, even with the addition of fish to ones diet, it's still not enough as fish is relatively low in iron compared to that of red meat. So, raw red meet should be added to ones diet; it appears?
If so, what kind is safe for consumption, or what should I ask the butcher before I buy?
As always, with much gratitude, RMM
Karen

[RRM]

RRM let's talk iron, please. Would you agree, that generally speaking, we need about 18 mg of heme iron per day?

No.
That is the RDA for women between 19 and 50 years old.
The RDA for men, and for older women is 8 mg.
That is the RDA.
That RDA is based on relatively low iron uptakes, and includes both heme and non-heme iron.
So much so that for 98% of the population it will be enough, even for those with unfavourable diets.
How much iron you actually need, depends on many factors.
This means that if your diet predominantly favours the uptake of iron, your actual need is much lower.

Vitamin C increases iron uptake.
Calcium inhibits iron uptake.
This diet is extremely high in vitamin C and relatively low in calcium (no milk, cheese, beans etc).
Also bran (in grains) and phytic acid (particularly in grains and nuts) inhibit iron uptake.
This diet is very low in phytic acid (unless you eat a lot of nuts) and bran is absent.
Polyphenols (in vegetables, beans) also inhibit iron uptake.
This diet is low in polyphenols.

Egg yolk proteins (phosvitin) bind iron, thus inhibiting the uptake of iron.
But the gastric fluid diminishes the binding capacity of phosvitin, releasing the iron for uptake.
Cooking, however, makes protein harder to digest, and thus cooked egg yolks may decrease iron uptake from a meal by 28%.

Although 6 yolks provides us with approx. 3 mg .its still not enough to meet that daily requirement.

We dont just eat egg yolks and fish.
Fruits is our staple food.
That may add up to a lot of (non-heme) iron.
That also counts.

So, raw red meet should be added to ones diet; it appears?

No.
That does not appear.
If i drink 3 L of OJ per day, and eat 400 g. salmon, i ingest 10 mg of iron.
If you eat 6 yolks, plus drink 2 L of OJ, you ingest 11 mg of iron.
Given the very favourable conditions, this must be plenty.

Also consider that iron has pro-oxidative properties,
and that lowering the uptake ratio is basically the only way to prevent iron excess.
http://www.waitalk.com/viewtopic.php?f=20&t=2475

If you think your diet is low in iron, please have your ferritin (stored spare iron) levels measured.

[Karen]

After reading your links, if I understand this right..our goal is for iron absorption, period. We don't want it stuck in our brains or floating around in our blood. Heme iron, therefore,is optimal to non heme iron because our bodies can more easily absorb it (with high levels of Vitamin c, I would imagine ,all the better!)This truism runs in keeping with the Wai philosophy of an optimal diet, yes? We eat raw because our bodies are better able to absorb nutrients and minerals . Having said that and you know heme iron is better for our bodies than nonheme iron , regardless of Vtamin C ,why then the resistance on incorporating raw red meat into your diet? Is there something else about raw red meat that causes you concern?

[RRM]

our goal is for iron absorption, period.

No, our goal is absorbing as much iron as we need, no more, no less.
Too much iron is harmful.
There is no active means of getting rid of excess iron. Hence adjusting the absorption rate is crucial.

Heme iron, therefore,is optimal to non heme iron because our bodies can more easily absorb it

Heme iron is more readily absorbed.
But that is not always an advantage.
Too much is harmfiul too.

We eat raw because our bodies are better able to absorb nutrients and minerals

No, we eat raw to avoid toxins.
That it is easier to absorb nutrients is not that important (not as important as avoiding toxins), because nutrient deficiencies are not really an issue.
More is not always better.

you know heme iron is better for our bodies than nonheme iron

Its more efficiently taken up, not better.
The heme is digested, releasing the iron, which is absorbed as is non-heme iron.

why then the resistance on incorporating raw red meat into your diet? Is there something else about raw red meat that causes you concern?

I have no concerns regarding consuming raw red meat.
Its solely the idea that "more iron is better"; thats what i dont agree with.

[Karen]

Perhaps I'm missing something. I recall from my Anatomy Physiology class a couple of years ago that our bodies regulate homeostasis by, if I remember correctly( the name, however, is not important)" Feedback Loops" which our enzymes participate in and regulate.
Iron, critical to our life force...literally ...with every inhale we take, surely our bodies have set up a system to regulate its rate of absorption. According to the University of Utah," iron homeostasis is closely regulated via intestinal absorption"

.http://library.med.utah.edu/WebPath/TUT ... /IRON.html

[Oscar]

Afaik that goes for all (vitamins and) minerals. The more your body needs it (to maintain the balance/homeostasis), the more the absorption rate will be increased, and vice versa.

[RRM]

iron homeostasis is closely regulated via intestinal absorption"

Exactly.
Meaning that our body tries to prevent excess by lowering the absorption rate.
This relatively low absorption rate should not be seen as 'a mistake that should be corrected' by increasing iron intake.
When you need more iron, the absorption rate goes up.

[Aytundra]

I am curious. Why are you asking about iron?
And what do you usually eat? Could you list your items?

[Karen]

Thank you for asking. My hair is shedding more than usual and my finger nails are not as strong as I'd like them.
I bruise easily; however lately my healing time has improved.
Dizzy when standing but that is due to Wai Warrior, or is it?
Also, I've been getting this tinker sound in my right ear? ( not related to iron? but I though I'd throw that in:)
Generally speaking my diet looks like the following, but here's yesterday's profile.
2 liters sieved orange juice
Cucumber , tomato .5 avocado I tblspn OO
.5 avocado 2 yolks
2 cups fish( ceviche)
8 -10 prunes.
Gracias,Aytundra Karen

[Karen]

Karen wrote:
iron homeostasis is closely regulated via intestinal absorption"

Exactly.
Meaning that our body tries to prevent excess by lowering the absorption rate.
This relatively low absorption rate should not be seen as 'a mistake that should be corrected' by increasing iron intake.
When you need more iron, the absorption rate goes up.

Exactly.
It's like vitamin C , whatever we don't use gets eliminated. I'm sorry, I must have misunderstood something. I heard that too much iron intake could lead to Alzheimer's disease of the brain and/or accumulate in our blood where bacteria will feast. And,I'm saying to myself, how could that be? Minerals such as iron...especially iron! ...are tightly regulated in our bodies. So, then, I ask you, why not take in as much, within reason of courses , of hemme iron as we can as our bodies will excrete what it doesn't need?

[Karen]

"When you need more iron the absorption rate goes up"
How do I know when the absorption rate has gone up? The Feedback loop" calls for more iron...I want more iron, where's the iron? There's no iron, however, because I haven't ingested any or enough to maintain what I need.
Our bodies don't store it or make it,it has to be in the blood stream freely from us ingesting it, right?( Pardon me I haven't completely finished my homework).
Besides, maybe my body is telling me that I need more iron by some of the symptoms I'm experiencing...hair loss, dizziness , brittle nails.
Rather than go get a blood test, what would be the harm of ingesting more iron, more hemme iron? None, as far as I can see as my body will get rid of what it does not need. Gracias!

[Aytundra]

Generally speaking my diet looks like the following, but here's yesterday's profile.

Merci Karen, for posting your food list.

as our bodies will excrete what it doesn't need?

RRM do females need more iron?

[Aytundra]

What type of fish was your ceviche made of?

[Karen]

I don't know, the fisherman's wife told me but it was in Spanish. I'm in Samara, Costa Rica, now, where I've gone to great lengths to make connections with the Ticos to buy fresh pascuado. It's inferior to Red Snapper; I'm sure. Ticos, from what I understand, don't waste the good stuff on Cevische. So it's probably like a Grupper- white and low in fat.
Women need more iron because of their periods. I would imagine. I lost mine, though,at 23 years old to "border Line ovarian cancer", so the saying goes. It was a long time ago. I'm grateful to have had the experience, though, as it saved my life:)
Thank you so much for listening , Aytundra.
Karen

[Aytundra]

Do you eat salt. Or sneak salt into your Wai diet? Or strictly no salt for the past few months?