Iron And Ascorbic Acid Form A Potentially Toxic Cocktail

Giraffe

Member
Joined
Jun 20, 2015
Messages
3,730
Iron supplements: the quick fix with long-term consequences

"Iron and ascorbic acid form a potentially toxic cocktail. Ascorbic acid has been shown to exhibit both anti-oxidant and pro-oxidant effects in a dose related fashion. The chemical mechanisms given above have been established demonstrating the potential for these compounds to interact and oxidatively damage surrounding tissues. Even in healthy subjects a positive or negative deviation from the optimal plasma ascorbic acid level results in oxidative damage. The detrimental effects of large quantities of ascorbic acid and iron in healthy subjects and patients with GI inflammatory diseases warrant further investigation. In addition dietary supplements containing iron and ascorbic acid may be deleterious as these components do not naturally come in concentrated form (as in supplementation tablets)."
 

charlie

Admin
The Law & Order Admin
Joined
Jan 4, 2012
Messages
14,364
Location
USA
:rightagain
 

InChristAlone

Member
Joined
Sep 13, 2012
Messages
5,955
Location
USA
No, just do not take it with iron supplements. Problem solved.
 

tankasnowgod

Member
Joined
Jan 25, 2014
Messages
8,131
No, just do not take it with iron supplements. Problem solved.

Quotes like the following are really making me question the whole idea of anti-oxidants functioning like pro- "Redox-active metal ions such as Fe(II) and Cu(I) further activate RONS and thus perpetuate their damaging effects. Ascorbic acid can exert a pro-oxidant effect by its interaction with metal ions via a number of established RONS generating systems which are reviewed here."

Okaaaaaay....... by the same logic, dumping a significant amount of water on a raging fire can cause an increase of smoke. Would you conclude from that example, in any way, that a lake or an ocean would also be a massive smoke hazard?

Here's the study that's it's based on- Ascorbic acid in the 21st century - more than a simple antioxidant. - PubMed - NCBI

"Ascorbic acid (AA) is an essential micronutrient for man, with many biological roles. It is a powerful antioxidant both directly via scavenging of reactive oxygen species and indirectly through regeneration of other antioxidant systems. Paradoxically, under certain conditions (low concentration in vitro, presence of metal ions) it can exert a pro-oxidant effect, increasing oxidative damage to lipids, DNA and protein. Herein, the effects of vitamin C both in vitro and in vivo are addressed in terms of modulation of oxidative DNA damage, gene expression and protein oxidation. The view of AA as a simple scavenger is outdated, where the arrival of new bioinformatic techniques, heralds a new dawning in our understanding of ascorbate as a potential direct or indirect modulator of gene expression."

Did you catch that? The "conditions" that make Vitamin C a pro-oxidant are when there is a small amount of it and it's completely overwhelmed by a true pro-oxidant like iron. Seriously? "Water can be a fire hazard when there isn't enough of it to put out a fire, so stay away from water lest you get burned." Am I missing something here, or is this the "truth" that's being spread?
 

Similar threads

Back
Top Bottom