Can cabbage stop iron overload?
Q. I’ve had hemochromatosis for more than two years. Before that I had been diagnosed with fructose intolerance.
I began eating more pickled krauts and other probiotic foods to help with my fructose intolerance, and I noticed the time between my phlebotomies increased. Yesterday, my scheduled phleb was canceled because my ferritin was midrange.
If cabbage chelates iron, then I’m all in. For the past month or so, I have been making raw cabbage salads or mixing it in with greens almost every day. I think there is something to this.
A. Hemochromatosis is a condition of excessive iron accumulation in the body. It often is hereditary. Symptoms can include painful joints, fatigue and abdominal discomfort.
If iron levels get too high for too long, people could develop liver disease, heart problems, diabetes, damage to the pancreas and erectile dysfunction in men. That’s why treatment should be supervised by a hematologist.
The normal regimen involves removing excess iron through regular phlebotomy (bloodletting). Doctors also may recommend a medication that chelates iron to remove it from the bloodstream.
Several years ago, a reader said that eating cabbage lowered his ferritin levels. Ferritin carries iron in the bloodstream and is elevated in hemochromatosis. Others also have reported some success with this dietary approach, though it cannot substitute for expert medical care.
Both black and green tea contain natural iron chelators and also may be a helpful addition to the diet. Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, also chelates iron. People with this condition should avoid vitamins containing iron or vitamin C.
Q. I read your article suggesting that hot peppers could dull taste buds over time. I heartily disagree.
I have been eating hot chili peppers since I was 5 years old (and I mean HOT peppers). I am 73 now, and my taste buds are not affected at all. How did the rats (young or adult) inform the researchers if their taste buds were affected?
A. What a great question! The scientists actually noted the number of taste buds rather than their sensitivity. The baby rats had fewer taste buds if they were exposed to capsaicin, which is what makes chili peppers hot.
Research suggests that people who eat hot peppers regularly may live longer than people who prefer bland food (PLOS One, Jan. 9, 2017).
Q. I suffered from angular cheilitis for years. I could control episodes with antifungal creams, but the sores at the corners of my mouth always would reappear.
I read about the antifungal properties of hydrogen peroxide, and I decided to try it. When my next outbreak occurred, I treated it with antifungal cream as usual. When it cleared up, I started dabbing hydrogen peroxide on the corners of my mouth each morning after brushing my teeth. The condition has never reappeared.
A. Thanks for the tip. A solution of half hydrogen peroxide and half water may indeed have antifungal activity (Dental Clinics of North America, January 2005).
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