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Usually, people wonder if they are getting enough iron. But those with hemochromatosis need to be concerned about getting too much iron. This condition leads to iron build-up in organs such as the liver. Hemochromatosis may have provided Neolithic farmers in early Europe with a survival advantage as they switched from hunting and eating big game to a low-iron diet based on grains and dairy products (McCullough et al, Human Biology, Jan. 2015). But like so many genes that offer advantages in one context, the HFE and C282Y genes that cause hemochromatosis can be lethal when diets are rich in iron. Can diet help control hemochromatosis?
Could Eating Cabbage Control Hemochromatosis?
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 were increasing. Yesterday my scheduled phleb was cancelled because my ferritin was mid-range. I haven’t had a bloodletting in five months now.
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. Usually one serving per day, often more. I think there is something to this.
What Is Hemochromatosis?
A. Hemochromatosis is a condition of excessive iron accumulation in the body. It is often hereditary. Symptoms can include painful joints, fatigue and abdominal discomfort.
If iron levels get too high for too long, people can 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.
Blood-Letting as the Primary Treatment:
The normal treatment involves removing excess iron through regular phlebotomy (blood letting). Although it would seem logical to give blood regularly as a way of benefiting others as well, the American Red Cross does not accept blood from donors with hereditary hemochromatosis. Doctors may also recommend a medication that chelates iron to remove it from the blood stream.
What Is the Story on Cabbage?
Several years ago we heard from a reader that eating cabbage lowered his ferritin levels. Ferritin carries iron in the bloodstream and is elevated in hemochromatosis. Others have also reported some success with this dietary approach, though it cannot substitute for expert medical care.
The usual dietary recommendations for people with hemochromatosis include avoiding iron supplements or iron-containing vitamin pills; avoiding vitamin C supplements with meals; drinking coffee or tea with meals; taking a calcium supplement at mealtime and eating lots of fiber; avoiding extra sugar, especially blackstrap molasses; limiting red meat; steering clear of raw shellfish; not cooking in cast iron pans; and eating lots of fresh produce, both fruits and vegetables. Cabbage certainly fits into that latter category. The phytic acid that is abundant in many whole grains and vegetables may be helpful in reducing iron overload (Hatcher et al, Future Medicinal Chemistry, Dec. 2009).
Readers Offer Their Stories:
One reader offered this:
“Our family gene pool has had hemochromatosis in it for CENTURIES. Yet we all, except one that we can determine by known history, have lived into our 80s and 90s. Now my age is 79, and my oldest brother is 89. ONE of our siblings died of lung cancer at age 86.
“We lead a diet controlled life and blood-letting when needed, usually 6 or more months apart. Cabbage is a regular part of our diet: coleslaw, boiled cabbage, in salads, and a raw wedge even. By the way, we can trace our known family history into the 1500s and back to 777 A.D.”
Women can also have hemochromatosis. One woman wrote:
“I was diagnosed with hemochromatosis late last year. I juice a serving of cabbage with apple, celery and carrot (whatever there is) every day. I’ve had four venesections to date and my levels have come down from 1556 to 404.”
Another reader was surprised by the diagnosis:
“I am 36 and have been diagnosed with the C282Y mutation. Apparently my liver is still able to break down iron, but only half as efficiently as it should. My ferritin was surprisingly high at 1250. It. It did come down to 897 after 3 blood donations. I go every six weeks.
“Further my father was tested last week. He is 65, and his ferritin is over 6000. My wife is a doctor, and we found that the older doctors around these parts are not really testing people for iron overload.”
Chelating Iron with Foods:
Both black and green tea contains natural iron chelators and may also be a helpful addition to the diet (Mandel et al, Journal of Neural Transmission. Supplementum, 2006). Curcumin, the active ingredient in turmeric, also chelates iron (Badria et al, PLOS One, July 31, 2015). So does rosemary when it is added to food as a spice (Samman et al, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, March 2001).
4/22/19 redirected to: https://www.peoplespharmacy.com/articles/will-munching-cabbage-help-lower-ferritin/
Ken D
It’s nice to see this has maintained some traction since I set things in motion all those years ago. Time to update it once more, perhaps by getting an expert to review the comments and start to take this opportunity to get people better.
By the way, The American Red Cross no longer prohibits people with hemochromatosis from donating, and seeing as the condition is not in any way transmissible, and further, that iron-rich blood is desirable for the recipient, they were idiotic to have the policy to begin with. And besides, they can only know if you tell them, which would only serve to get your entirely good blood to be thrown away.
Judy
I read your article in The Palm Beach Post today on “High levels of iron in blood.” December, 2015, my 39 year old daughter went to the ER in Arlington, VA with severe abdominal pains. She was diagnosed with hemochromatosis, a disease unheard of in the family. Her ferritin level was around 1900. She began bloodlettings, and in a year her level dropped to normal. Within a year before her diagnoses, her eyeballs turned yellow, she was always tired, and she had brain fog. These are all symptoms of the disease. The ophthalmologist told her to wear sunglasses and her OB/GYN said memory loss and tiredness was from mothering kids 1, 3, and 5. She had been given iron pills with the middle child!
Within a year, several members of my side of the family had been diagnosed with the disease including me and several siblings. The day after she was diagnosed, she called her biological father and was told he passed away the day before from cirrhosis of the liver. There was no known awareness on his side of the family. My GYN has been in practice over 20 years and never heard of the disease! Knowing now that it can be fatal, why aren’t ferritin levels checked in all adults? It should be included in their first blood test. There should be more awareness of this sleeper, hemochromatosis. Thanks for the article.
Lisa
Arkansas
I have this as well. I used to give blood all the time, because the donation agencies haunt you when you are O-. I was told my donations would not be accepted also. It was fine before I had the diagnosis–why not now? I am going to ask my hematologist to write a prescription so that I can continue to donate even if it has to be a platelet procedure.
JOE NAYLOR
85323
Everything I read and hear says what you CAN’T EAT. Is there a list of what you CAN EAT.
Water, Black Cheree’s, and Green Tea maybe cabbage is not a diet. Is iron in beans, lintels, etc. OK , potatoes and sweet potatoes OK. Pasta, bread, grains, dairy, ?
di
Australia
Recently diagnosed with hemochromatosis and have been having 500 mls taken every week. I hate it. My level is 1743, and Dr wants it down to 100. I read about turmeric cream. Has anyone tried it? Thanks
Elaine
Salem orego
Thank you. Happy to have found this resource. Cannot understand why my iron enriched blood is thrown out! Giving blood every 3 weeks now. Wondering if it will get better or worse as far as frequency for blood letting.
Sasha
Delaware
My brother was recently diagnosed with compound hemochromatosis CY and HD gene. Over the past few months, he has gone for blood lettings every week, has been eating more healthy, drinking less alchohol, exercising, and has brought his ferritin down from 800 to 50. His liver MRI showed 4% iron overload. Do you think his liver is now iron-free? The cabbage is a great recommendation. Do you have any other recommendations for diet? Thank you!
Victoria J . R.
Washington
I think that you should publish the advice to your readers to get their blood iron levels checked. My physician thought I was anemic because I asked about my hair loss, so checked my iron level. It was high, and I have hemochromatosis. I was 73 years old and did not know I had it it because no one ever checked my blood for that. In the 50s or 60s iron was added to food, i.e. bread, cereal etc. because it was thought that people had iron poor tired blood. Not everyone. There are a lot of people who have high iron and do not know it. Ask your doctor to check next time he runs a blood test.
Bella
Victoria
Have family history of haemochromatosis but carry only one of two genes. My fraternal twin has it. However I have autoimmune problems and have increased home fermented foods, eg: sourdough, kim chi, sauerkraut and kombucha. At the same time I want to reduce my serum ferritin levels as it is implicated in the development of Alzheimer’s (I am over 65 years old).
I love cabbage but avoided it as it led to unsociable consequences. I now eat it freely everyday and recommend it to everybody. I also combine nuts in my main meal for increased phytic acid. I mention this because I think a pro-phytic diet has wider benefits than just for controlling haemo and want to wish those who are going through blood-letting all the best as I see that for both of my family members it was a quite exhausting process, though well worth it longer term.
G
Hawaii
Thank you for this very informative info on diet. Not many doctors can tell you what to eat or not to eat for any kind of condition. I am male age 63 with both hemochromatosis and anemia and have been having weekly Procrit injections for the anemia since January 2013. My current ferritin count is 1660, but has ranged from 990 to 2400. My hematologist won’t do blood letting bc he did it for another patient with the same two conditions and her hemoglobin counts never recovered. I have a liver doctor who has a yearly abdominal ultrasound done. Had a liver biopsy done a few years ago to establish a base point for future reference. I’ve also had a fibroscan done in the liver doctors office which is like an ultrasound and will show if there’s any scarring on the liver. Am cancer free and have no scarring of the liver.
When I’ve had the ultrasound done, have asked the technician if it’s really necessary for them to press down really hard bc I have some internal abdominal bruises from past ultrasounds which haven’t healed. The last tech told me he could take it easy but the results wouldn’t be as good without his pressing down hard and if it hurt really bad that I should raise my hand to signal him to stop.
Michele
North Carolina
My husband had to have his blood taken out every six weeks for many years. It coincided with bouts of the skin condition porphyria cutanea. Once I switched him to a whole food plant-based diet (no meat, dairy or processed foods) his skin condition cleared up and his ferritin levels are normal again.
There is a difference in how our bodies process heme iron from meat and dairy, and non-heme iron from plant products.
Cheryl
Melbourne,Fl
I have Hemochromatosis and I think it is ridiculous that the American Red Cross does not utilize the valuable whole blood that is trashed when patients do frequent bloodletting. This is high iron blood. I have been an RN for 45 years and have seen patients die from shortage of available blood. I have been asking this question for years and no one can give an answer.
Patrick
Melbourne, Florida
Hi Cheryl,
Diagnosed today and also living in Melbourne. Understand the Big Red Bus won’t offload me except if I donate plasma, but will this reduce the iron levels the same as whole blood? I’m sick frequently with just about everything that hits Brevard county, so I am not sure giving up my immune system is the way to go to get drained. Any other places I can go?
Thanks in advance.
Venesa
Tennessee
I was told that the American Red Cross won’t take donations from people with HH b/c it’s considered a payment of sorts since we need to have the phlebotomies and would have to pay to get them done otherwise. They aren’t allowed to “pay” anyone for blood. It’s ridiculous and should really be reconsidered since so many people have HH and our blood saves lives. I donated there long before I was ever diagnosed with HH and now they won’t take my same blood. Luckily there are two Medic locations where I live and they’ll take all the HH blood I can give them!
Mary
Mims Fl
If you have a prescription from the doctor that might take care of that problem. I have a prescription so One Blood gets paid, and they will use my blood if my level is 12.5 or above. That is good since I am Type A-, and that is a type they say is usually used with in 6 hours of giving it. I have given when the level was below that, and they couldn’t use it.
Pat
My husband was diagnosed about 20 years ago. He controls it with blood donations. When he was first diagnosed the Red Cross would not take his blood; but that rule was changed several years ago. It seems that they seek out people with the diagnosis to be platelet donors. We are cautious with foods that contain a lot of iron. Was not aware of the chelating value of foods mentioned in the article though we do follow a Med diet that includes many of the recommendations above.
It seems that many M.D.’s miss the increase in blood levels and don’t follow up with storage levels. His gastroenterologist told him that many patients are in liver failure before they are diagnosed. In the old days it was called Copper Diabetes because of the brown iron deposits in victims legs.