Cancer and the Celtic Curse: How iron overload raises cancer risk in people with genetic hemochromatosis
Photo courtesy of National Cancer Institute US Most of us know that a lack of iron in our diet can make us anemic: pale, weak, tired, and short of breath. Less well known is the fact that too much iron in our bodies is also unhealthy. Excess iron, a condition known as iron overload, raises the risk of developing several serious health conditions, including cancer. Unfortunately, not enough doctors are aware of this, partly because a lot of the research behind that statement is relatively recent. Even more unfortunate, there is a genetic condition that can cause this iron overload, even when you're eating a well-balanced diet. It's called Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH), and it is particularly prevalent in people whose genetic background is Celtic, meaning Irish, Scottish, and to a lesser extent English and white northern European. When you look up information about hereditary hemochromatosis, the summary on standard public health portals like NHS England, usually sounds rela...