V Herbert. Mt. Sinai/NYU Health System & Bronx V.A. Med Ctr, NYC, NY.
Iron, especially in presence of vitamin C supplements (taken daily by 23% of Americans), is the main source of free radicals in the human body (Herbert et al. J Nutr 1996; 126:1213S - 1220S);excessive such free radicals insidiously promote multiple organ damage, including heart disease and cancer. Approximately 12% of the U.S. population (including approximately 20% Irish-Americans and approx. 30% Afro-Americans) have a gene enhancing intestinal absorption of iron (an ìHî[hemochromatosis] gene) . The evidence (Herbert. J Am Diet Assoc. 1992; 92: 1505-9) was confirmed in 1999 (Sullivan. Circulation. 100:1260-3) that their ~50% increase in daily iron absorption and gradual tissue iron overload sharply increases frequency of heart disease, with volunteer blood donation (phlebotomy) producing significant decrease in such disease. Worse, approximately 1% of the U.S. population has 2 H genes (HH; homozygous hemochromatosis). They have an ~300% increase in daily iron absorption, with young adulthood multiple organ iron overload producing sterility and/or diabetes and/or cardiomyopathy and/or cirrhosis with eventual liver cancer (if they live that long). Most H and HH die undiagnosed and untreated because measuring serum iron , Tfsat and serum ferritin are still not, but should be, among laboratory tests done routinely in pediatric & adult health exams. When all 3 are elevated, phlebotomy is mandated to pull out excess iron, preventing progression of damage (with total healing when damage is early). FDA regulations stigmatized HH blood, causing tons discarded yearly, producing blood shortages every year since 1970; I petitioned FDA to destigmatize it (Am J Hemat. 1998; 59:261-3); the 4/29-30/99 Committee on Blood Safety and Availability unanimously agreed it was as safe as any other donor blood (Minutes available from Surgeon General Satcherís office); FDA will now allow any blood bank which requests a waiver, and will not charge the donor for phlebotomy, to use it like any other donor blood. 

Published in FASEB J 2000; 14(4): page A754 (Abstract #522-16)
Presented at Tuesday, April 18th, 2000, poster session, entitled ìIronî at EB 2000 meeting of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB) at San Diego Convention Center.