Eating Right with Hemochromatosis. A Diet Guide for Reducing Iron

Download or read book Eating Right with Hemochromatosis. A Diet Guide for Reducing Iron written by Sven-David Müller and published by GRIN Verlag. This book was released on 2014-03-12 with total page 16 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Essay from the year 2005 in the subject Health - Nutritional Science, , language: English, abstract: Hemochromatosis is a rare disorder of the iron metabolism, which leads to abnormal deposits of iron in the liver and other organs. Alone in Germany, an estimated two to four hundred thousand people suffer from hemochromatosis. Hence, the so-called iron overload is among the most common hereditary disorders. In the format of this short communication we will discuss, what the characteristics of hemochromatosis are and how it can be recognized at an early stage. The disorder is usually diagnosed in patients between 40 and 60 years old. Primary hemochromatosis has a hereditary cause, whereas the secondary form of iron overload occurs with blood disorders. Patients suffer from a particular form of diabetes mellitus and dark pigmentation of the skin (bronzing), as well as hepatic cirrhosis. Other clinical syndromes include hormonal imbalances, cardiomyopathy and other physiological changes. Patients show elevated serum levels of iron and increased concentrations of ferritin. Routine treatment consists in phlebotomies. Moreover, extreme challenges such as food items rich in iron must be avoided. An iron-reduced diet, however, cannot replace phlebotomies as a form of therapy.